Warriors New Zealand: The Five
by Kiwifeather
Summary: "All five will fall. None will come after, none will survive." The five clans have lived in peace for many moons, but then a doom like any before comes forth. Only five young cats can journey to the scattered who live together and save the clans.
1. Allegiances

**OKAY! The allegiances and the first chapter go up today! The first chapter is about Willowkit, and the second (which I have just decided) is going to be about Rowanpaw!**

**As a side note, please forgive me for the first few chapters. I seem to have a weird thing with writing where the first few chapters come out very difficultly and not as good as the rest of the story. So please bear with me! It does get better.**

**Thanks,**

**Kiwifeather . :3**

_There are five clans;_

_**FernClan**__- lives in a narrow but long territory wedged between a river and a cliff that runs the length of clan territories. The territory is mixed forest made up of willows, native trees and ferns, as well as various ground plants. Their camp is in the thickest part of their territory and is surrounded by brambles and ferns on one side and the cliff face on the other. MarshClan is to the west and GorseClan is to the south. A tiny tip of FieldClan territory is touching theirs at the southwest. To the north is a thunder path and the way to Star Falls and beyond that is unknown to any clan cat._

_**MarshClan- **__lives in the marsh, tall swamp grass and__willow trees at the edge of the small lake in the clan territories. The clump of willows contains a giant, ancient tree with branches that touch the ground, and create a curtain which the camp is beneath. FernClan territory is to the east, and FieldClan territory is to the south. To the west is the Great Tree Hollow, which is where the clans meet for Gatherings. To the north is the lake._

_**FieldClan- **__lives in the long grass field in the centre of the clan territories. There are a few pine trees here and there in the territory and where there are a few close together a few have fallen on top of each other. This is where the camp is. Their borders touch those of all the other clans. GorseClan is to the east, MarshClan is to the north and GustClan is to the east. A tip of their territory touches FernClan's to the norhteast. South is a mysterious uncharted territory._

_**GorseClan- **__lives in the dry scrubland and on the rocky cliffs the lines the east of clan territory. There are only a few tall trees in their territory, and they are mostly on the border between GorseClan and FernClan. Their camp is in the middle of scrub and gorse bushes that are on a large ledge on the cliff side. FernClan is to the north and FieldClan is to the west. The east has the cliff and farmland beyond them and the south is the source of the river. No cat has ever travelled that way._

_**GustClan- **__GustClan makes their home on the rolling hills on the far west side of the territories. The wind sweeps down of the mountains beyond. The whole territory is short grass and a couple of bushes. The clan shares their territory with twoleg sheep. They are the clan that is most affected by drought. The camp is a hollow in the ground with a few bushes for the queens and elders. To the east is the circle of trees around the biggest tree any cat has ever seen known as the Great Tree Hollow which is where gatherings take place. To the southeast is FieldClan, north is Star Falls and south is more farmland and hills._

**FERNCLAN- ****fair and strong, FernClan are devoted to their clanmates and follow the warrior code to the letter. They dislike MarshClan because their borders are so close and are only divided by a shallow river that is bare most of summer. They defend themselves with ferocity.**

**LEADER **Flamestar- orange tabby tom with white on the tip of his tail and amber eyes. (Six Lives)

**DEPUTY** Caramelblaze- golden brown she-cat with blue eyes that have a golden tint.

**Apprentice: Falconpaw**

**MEDICINE CAT** Cloverdapple- dappled light brown and white she-cat with topaz-coloured eyes.

**WARRIORS**

**1. **Tuitail- a black she-cat with a glossy, feathery coat and a long, fluffy tail. She has green eyes.

**2. **Willowstrike- pretty brown she-cat with very long claws and light amber eyes.

**Apprentice: Gorsepaw**

**3. **Poppytail- a tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and amber eyes . Mate: Thunderclaw.

**4. **Thunderclaw- a strong golden brown tom with green eyes.

**Apprentice: Kiwipaw**

**5. **Specklefur- a light brown, spotted tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**6. **Longstripe- a grey tom with long white stripes and amber eyes, a former rouge.

**7. **Harefoot- a speedy, light brown tabby tom with a white tail, large paws and yellow eyes. Mate: Lancewing.

**Apprentice: Keapaw**

**8. **Eagleflight- a big mottled grey-brown tom with golden eyes. Mate: Silverfern.

**9. **Liontail- loyal, large, handsome golden tabby tom with amber eyes. Has long thick fur that's hard to get claws into. Mate: Blossomstorm

**APPRENTICES **

**1. **Gorsepaw- brown tabby she-cat with off-white stripes along her tail and bright green eyes.

**2. **Keapaw- fun-loving grey she-cat with golden markings on her face and sides. Light grey eyes**.**

**3. **Kiwipaw- brown tom with light grey spots and very messy fur. He has green eyes.

**4. **Falconpaw- grey tom with very long claws and yellow eyes.

**QUEENS**

**1. **Lancewing- a lithe, very dark brown, almost black tabby and white queen with orange eyes and a very long tail she often holds straight up like a Lancewood tree. Expecting kits to Harefoot.

**2. **Blossomstorm- blue-cream tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes that have flecks of orange in them. Has very young kits= Robinkit- dark ginger tom with green eyes./ Oceankit- blue/grey she-cat with white paws and a white blaze down her face and amber eyes./ Palekit- cream tom with long fur and green eyes.

**3 . **Sliverfern**- **A stunning slender silver she-cat with darker flecks. She has black tipped ears and bright emerald green eyes. Her kits are almost six moons. Kits= Aspenkit- beautiful silver she-cat with black tipped ears and emerald green eyes./ Alpinekit- snowy-grey tom with thick fur and darker-grey patches, he has keen blue eyes.

**ELDERS**

**1. **Shadowwing- grumpy black she-cat with white stripes on her sides and bright green eyes. Oldest cat in clan.

**2. **Flowerseed- light brown she-cat with black spots and golden eyes.

**3. **Fireclaw- still fierce ginger and white tom with darker green eyes. Very stiff in his old age.

**MARSHCLAN- ****a proud and arrogant clan which particularly dislikes FernClan and often gets in border skirmishes with them. They love water and are very family orientated. If you threaten their family or insult them prepared to get clawed.**

**LEADER**Swallowstar**- **large muscular dark brown tabby tom with strange black jagged tabby markings, white paws, and a white muzzle. He has amber eyes and has a crescent shaped scar over his right eye.

**DEPUTY** Darksky- a grey tom with blue eyes.

**Apprentice: Greypaw**

**MEDICINE CAT** Dawnfeather- an average sized she-cat that is blind in one eye and has tan fur, her eye colour is brown with flecks of hazel.

**Apprentice: Stoatpaw**- a snowy white she-cat with an unusually long tail and very dark blue eyes.

**WARRIORS**

**1. **Nightfrost- a black she-cat with yellow eyes.

**2. **Mudstorm- a dark brown tom with long fur and hazel eyes. Mate: Vinetangle

**Apperentice: Swanpaw**

**3. **Duskclaw- a mousy brown tom with medium length fur and hazel eyes.

**Apprentice: Duckpaw**

**4. **Reedclaw- dark brown tom with grey stripes and dark amber eyes.

**5. **Pebblestream- short-tempered, light grey she-cat with light brown patches and green eyes**.**

**6. **Weedwalker- dark brown tom with light grey paws and yellow eyes.

**7. **Weaseldash- swift grey tom with blue eyes and one white paw.

**Apprentice: Sparkpaw**

**8. **Heronwing- white she-cat with warm dark eyes.

**Apperentice: Goosepaw**

**9. **Gekotail- short, yet burly orange tom with black stripes and tail tip. His tail is unusually thick and fluffy. His usually wide open eyes are amber.

**APPRENTICES**

**1. **Swanpaw- a pitch black she-cat with a long, sleek, shiny coat and murky green-brown eyes. Has scars on her shoulder, left flank and tail.

**2. **Greypaw- a dark grey tom with green eyes.

**3. **Goosepaw- grey and black tom with large feet and light green eyes. A trouble maker.

**4. **Duckpaw- a white and grey she-cat with a long fluffy tail and green eyes.

**5. **Sparkpaw- golden tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes.

**QUEENS**

**1. **Vinetangle- a light brown she-cat with dapples of darker fur or her short, course pelt. Pale green eyes. Heavily pregnant with Mudstorm's kits.

**ELDERS**

**1. **Mousewhisker- a light brown tabby tom with long whiskers and blue eyes. Oldest cat in clan.

**2. **Emeraldeye- a black and white she-cat with bright green eyes.

**3. **Longpelt- a brown tabby she-cat with a very long coat and amber eyes.

**FIELDCLAN- ****this clan keeps to themselves and stays out of others way, preferring not to get in wars and take sides. They are a clan that enjoys natural beauty, and will often gather feathers and leaves to line their nests and decorate their camp.**

**LEADER**Shadystar- black tom with streaks of grey and light green eyes. Five lives left.

**Apprentice: Skinkpaw**

**DEPUTY**Heronlegs**- **a pretty light greyish-blue she-cat with very long legs. Bright blue eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**Cindereye- grey she-cat with blue eyes. Sister of Longstripe, past loner.

**APPRENTICE **Grasspaw- a sturdily built tom cat with a very adept sense of smell. He has brown tabby fur with one white paw and soft green eyes.

**WARRIORS**

**1. **Waspfang- a honey-coloured she-cat with dark amber eyes and a bite like an angry wasp's sting.

**Apprentice: Deerpaw**

**2. **Possumtail- skittish dark grey tom with a long black tail and yellow eyes. Mate: Fallingbird

**3. **Batear- laid back black tom with very large ears and blue eyes.

**4. **Falconcry- a quiet, smallish, brown tom with bright green eyes. Mate: Silverseal.

**Apprentice: Kakapopaw**

**5. **Pigsqueal- a whiney light golden she-cat with ginger stripes and amber eyes.

**6. **Sealbite**- **loyalgreyish-silver tom with somewhat small teeth. Blue eyes with streaks of gold in them.

**7. **Ragingbreeze- white tom with grey patches and pale green/blue eyes. Mate: Seedpelt

**8. **Pineneedle- golden tabby tom with white toes and a short, prickly coat. Green eyes**.**

**9. **Lashingbreeze- pale grey tabby she-cat with orange eyes.

**10. **Dashingwind- dark grey tom with white on his paws and chest. Pale orange eyes.

**APPRENTICES **

**1. **Deerpaw- a white she-cat with grey tabby patches and soft brown eyes.

**2. **Kakapopaw- a chatter-box, grey she-cat with white circles over her eyes and a white tipped tail. Her eyes are dark brown, almost black in colour.

**3. **Skinkpaw- a light brown tom with darker stripes and dark green eyes.

**QUEENS **

**1. **Silverseal- a silver tabby she-cat with long glossy fur and warm chocolate brown eyes. Kits= Mistkit- a silver she-cat with green eyes./ Thornkit- a brown tom with chocolate brown eyes./ Totarakit- brown tom with green eyes./ Kokakokit- light grey she-cat with blue eyes.

**2. **Seedpelt- a mottled tabby/tortoiseshell queen with frosty blue eyes. Expecting kits to Ragingbreeze.

**3. **Fallingbird- golden tabby and white she-cat with green eyes. Expecting Possumtail's kits.

**ELDERS**

**1. **Mudblaze- white tom with a brown blaze that runs from the top his nose to the base of his tail. A great storyteller.

**2. **Nightsong- very elderly black tom with a ginger stripe down his back and green eyes. The oldest cat in all the clans.

**3. **Swiftmeadow- dark golden tabby tom with light grey stripes and amber eyes.

**4. **Ratatail- delicate white she-cat with black speckles, a bushy tail that is tipped black and pale amber eyes**.**

**GORSECLAN- ****the most suspicious and aggressive clan, GorseClan don't like other clans. They are very loyal to their own clanmates however. They are also ambitious and clever.**

**LEADER**Sorrelstar- beautiful, dark tortoiseshell she-cat, with dark blue eyes, a white muzzle, white paws, a white chest, a black-tipped tail, and a black, brown, and amber dappled pelt. Her eyes have circles of dark fur around them, and one is darker than the other. She also has a gold-and-black striped tail. Nine Lives. Mate: Sparrowfeather.

**Apprentice: Redpaw**

**DEPUTY**Nightsky- dark grey tom with black stripes and yellow eyes. Mate: Fishflight.

**MEDICINE CAT**Cloudflame- sharp-tongued white tom with ginger patches and dark amber eyes. Almost deaf and blind in his right eye.

**WARRIORS**

**1. **Lizardstrike- grey tom with very sharp teeth and amber eyes. Mate: Whitefur

**2. **Geckofoot- a blue/grey and white tom with large paws and dark green eyes. An expert climber. Mate: Freezefang

**3. **Freezefang- a cold white she-cat with silver markings on her face and ice blue eyes.

**Apprentice: Rowanpaw**

**4. **Sparrowfeather- handsome dark brown tom with a golden dappled pelt, a black muzzle and a reddish brown stripped pelt. Pale green eyes. Has a distinctive scar running from the base of his tail along his flank.

**Apprentice: Blizzardpaw**

**5. **Nectarpelt- a pretty long-haired ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes. She has a large nick in her left ear.

**Apprentice: Fallingpaw**

**6. **Watersplash- beautiful silver she-cat with white tabby stripes going down her back and black tabby stripes going down her legs and tail. Bright electric blue eyes.

**7. **Gingerhawk- an enormous dark ginger tabby tom with sly green eyes.

**Apprentice: Dappledpaw**

**8. **Barkclaw- aggressive dark brown tom with pale blue eyes.

**9. **Drizzleclaw- a gruff blue-grey tom with a scarred muzzle and long, black claws.

**APPRENTICES**

**1. **Dappledpaw- dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes**. **

**2. **Redpaw**- **A red furred she cat with a slender lithe body and small dainty paws. She has pale-coloured claws that while small are hooked wicked. On the left side of her face is a small scar from a fight she was in. Her eyes are a twinkling hazel.

**3. **Rowanpaw- has long, deep cherry-red fur that turns golden in heavy sunlight. His paws are snow-white, along with the tips of his ears and tail. His muzzle has a white splash on it, which makes his black nose stick out heavily. His eyes are rather fickle, being that they act like a mood indicator. Normally, they are a tranquil silver colour, but with heavy emotion, they slightly glaze over a blue-silver colour. There is a long, faded pink scar across his left flank from a battle with a thicket long ago.

**4. **Blizzardpaw- White she-cat with short fur and blue eyes.

**5. **Fallingpaw- a dappled tabby/tortoiseshell with semi-long fur and amber eyes. She has a habit of leaping on prey/enemies from above.

**QUEENS**

**1. **Whitefur- snow white cat that is deaf in one ear. One green, one blue eye. Expecting kits to Lizardstrike.

**2. **Fishflight- light grey and silver queen with a long, slim body and dark green eyes. Kits= Featherkit- light grey and silver tom with long fur and amber eyes. Adopted kits= Zephyrkit- pretty jet black she-cat with dainty snow white paws and a white diamond spot between her eyes. Has big, round blue eyes./ Breezekit- white tom with large black paws. Has a black diamond shaped mark between his eyes. Has large round blue eyes. Small scar over his muzzle.

**3. **Geckohiss- kind, pale golden she-cat with ginger markings on her hind legs. Soft amber eyes. Kits= Stormkit- dark grey tom with a black chest and amber eyes./ Cloudkit- a pure white she-cat with odd pinkish coloured eyes.

**4. **Raindapple- withdrawn, beautiful silver she-cat with a black dappled pelt and dark blue eyes. Has a scar on her right shoulder. Former rouge. Kits= Stormykit- smoky grey tom with long fur. Has tufted ears and unusually long whiskers. His eyes are dark blue and he has white paws./ Leopardkit- very small silver she-cat with a black dappled pelt and blue eyes.

**ELDERS**

**1. **Sunfall- still pretty golden she-cat with light blue eyes. Is almost completely deaf.

**GUSTCLAN- ****the most timid of all clans, would rather avoid a fight if they could. They are also the most fun-loving and gentle. They are the most spiritually connected clan, and live the closest to Star Falls, the waterfall where the Clans go to speak to StarClan.**

**LEADER**Bushstar- light grey she-cat with a long scar down the side of her face and blue eyes.(Eight lives)

**Apprentice: Takahepaw **

**DEPUTY**Darkshine- black tom with lighter stripes and amber eyes. Mate: Wildstorm

**MEDICINE CAT**Swiftbreeze- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**APPRENTICE **Mosspaw- cream she-cat with white on her face, leg and belly. Has a small white dot on her forehead. She has light green eyes.

**WARRIORS**

**1. **Pondwhisker- dark grey, long-haired she-cat with pretty amber eyes. Mate: Nightwhisper

**2. **Nightwhisper- black tom with dark grey stripes and green eyes.

**3. **Sheepfur- a white she-cat with black paws, has a very thick pelt and amber eyes.

**4. **Ferretblaze**-** brown and white tom cat with green eyes. Mate: Pukekoflower

**5. **Rockshatter- massive dark grey tom with fierce yellow eyes.

**Apperentice- Huiapaw**

**6. **Maplestreak- long-haired russet tom with intense green eyes.

**7. **Frostrain- white tom with orange eyes and a scar on his shoulders.

**APPRENTICES**

**1. **Huiapaw-a timid black she cat with a tan-ish yellow marking on her neck. She has pale hazel eyes.

**2. **Takahepaw- a feisty blue-grey tom cat with bright green eyes who looks nothing like his sister.

**QUEENS**

**1. **Wildstorm- ginger she-cat with dark grey spots and her fur sticks up all over the place. Smoky grey eyes. Kits= Willowkit- light brown she-cat with a scar on her leg and light grey eyes./ Breezekit- a black tom with very long claws and fur that sticks up all over the place. Amber eyes with rings of grey in them./ Rainkit- A dark grey tom with ginger spots and amber eyes.

**2. **Pukekoflower- black she cat with a lithe slender body with hints of blue-grey in her fur. She has blue eyes. Kits= Tuatarakit- a large tom with brown fur that has white splotches over it. His eyes are hazel./Woolkit-A fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes. She has a lot of fur and looks like a giant white puff ball./ Tuikit- a black tom with a white patch on his throat. Green eyes.

**ELDERS**

**1. **Chasingwind- a once swift golden tabby tom with dark hazel eyes. Retired early due to leg injury.

**2. **Pinefoot- a russet tom with still sharp claws and green eyes.

**3. **Windstep- cranky ginger tom with golden highlights and dark grey eyes.

**4. **Runninghorse- a brown and white patched she-cat with amber eyes.

**5. **Wrenwing- small pale tabby she-cat with orange eyes, completely blind due to cateracts.

**CATS OUTSIDE CLANS**

**Rouges: (1 to 13 is part of the faraway group, 14 , 15 and 16 are just random rouges around Clan territory)**

**1. **Socks- a gentle and giving tiny tom cat. Has a black pelt with white fur around his paws, green eyes.

**2. **Mask- dark grey tom with black rings around his eyes, which are dark blue. Mate: Pebble.

**3. **Coal- very dark grey, almost black tom who is missing his right ear and has amber eyes with rings of blue in them.

**4. **Pebble- dark brown queen with lighter spots and forest green eyes. Expecting Mask's kits.

**5. **Falcon- obnoxious ginger tom with pale green eyes. Mate: Horse

**6. **Horse- a large cream she-cat with darker points and long hair, she has stunning blue eyes.

**7. **Kit-Kat**- **flirty light brown she-cat with darker stripes down her sides and amber eyes.

**8. **Kento- light grey tom with darker speckles down his back and icy blue eyes. Sister is Kaya**.**

**9. **Kaya- a shy, dark grey she-cat with white paws and icy blue eyes.

**10. **Kiwi- an apprentice-aged, beautiful light brown she cat with a white muzzle and hazel eyes.

**11. **Creampuff- energetic fluffy cream-coloured she-cat with bright blue eyes. Mate: Buck

**12. **Buck- strong chestnut-furred tom with glaring hazel eyes.

**13. **Ghost**-**has short, sheet-white fur and bright blue eyes. He has a deep 'V' in his left ear and a long, pink scar down his left flank. Not deaf like most blue-eyed white cats.

**14. **Riddle- a silver tabby tom with dark gold eyes, medium length fur and a scar on his face. Mate: The loner; Tempest. Lives in various places on the top of the cliffs, has been with Tempest lately.

**15. **Topaz**- **She is a black she-cat, but in the sun she looks a bit brown. She has yellow eyes with a little bit of green around the pupil. Formally a kittypet. Moves around in the area between GorseClan and the farm to the south.

**16.**Vampire- a black tom with white ears and particularly long canine teeth which show on the outside of his mouth. He has dark amber eyes. He flirts with many she-cats, and tends to sire white kits with pinkish-red eyes… Has no set territory, roams far and wide.

**Loners:**

**1. **Moonfall- a wise white she-cat with silvery stripes and ice blue eyes. Lives by Star Falls.

**2. **Tempest- a dark brown tabby she-cat with glowing green eyes. Expecting kits to Riddle. Lives in the pine forest on the top of the cliffs behind FernClan.

**Kittypets:**

**1. **Wendy- a calico she-cat who is rather plump and loves to chat.

**2. **Blake- a black and white tom with green eyes. Lives in the same house as Wendy.

**3. **Shadow- kind golden tabby she-cat with black stripes and piercing green eyes.

**4. **Suna- adventurous light ginger tom with darker stripes and dark green eyes.

**OTHER ANIMALS**

**Dog: **Rex- a large black and golden tan male dog with pointed ears. (German Shepherd)

**Owl**: Sharpclaws- a deadly tawny brown owl with giant yellow eyes. A known kit eater.

**MAINS**

**Journey cats: Gorsepaw of FernClan, Sparkpaw and Weaseldash of MarshClan, Skinkpaw of FieldClan, Dappledpaw of GorseClan and Willowkit and Breezekit of Gust Clan (Will be apprentices by then). On the way back they are joined by Falcon and Horse of the Rouge Group.**

**Primary Cats: Specklefur of FernClan, Swanpaw of MarshClan, Shadystar of FieldClan, Rowanpaw and Dappledpaw of GorseClan, Willowkit of GustClan and Horse of the Rouge Group.**

**Secondary Cats: Gorsepaw of FernClan, Sparkpaw and Weaseldash of MarshClan, Skinkpaw of FieldClan, Freezefang and Gekohiss and her kits of GorseClan, Breezekit, Bushstar and Pondwhisker of GustClan, Suna the kittypet, the loner Moonfall and the rouges Ghost and Falcon. **


	2. Chapter 1

The dark clouds swirled around in a strange, half muddy blue, half burning orange sky. The two colours clashed, two sides of a stalemate battle for control. The earth was bare, not a single blade of grass grew from it's cracked, burnt surface. Signs of twoleg presence, such as rubbish and the place where a twoleg fire had burned was also present. Huddled in the middle of this frightening place was a tiny cat with light brown fur. Her light grey eyes were wide with fear, and her kitten-soft fur was fluffed up. _Where am I? _She wondered. _I never seen the sky like that before…._ The she-cat looked up, flinching a little as a flash of lighting broke through the clouds.

Suddenly there was the yowling of many cats in pain, or maybe in fear… The she-cat couldn't tell. Cat-shaped shadows moved, writhing in the darkness. "What's going on?" The kit cried in terror, leaping up and trying to run from this awful place. But everywhere she went was the same, it was like she wasn't moving at all. Then a voice, clearer than the yowls, broke out somehow louder than the din the cat-shadows made, yet softer than any of them. "Willowkit." It spoke in a females voice, gentle, yet with a hint of panic. "Willowkit, you must help them."

"How can I help them? I am no leader, I'm just a kit!" Willowkit yelled out to the voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "I can't do anything to save any cats."

"Do you truly believe this? You are the kind of cat we need, you have the right spirit... A terrible destruction is coming, Willowkit. All clan's will be annihilated." Another shape appeared, but this one glowed with starlight, eyes shimmering a stunning amber. It walked up to Willowkit, standing regally over her. "It has been seen, and it has been spoken. _**All five will fall. None will come after, none will survive.**_"

"How…?" The little kit stammered. "When-?" She stared up at the shining cat, who's fur colour of black and white could now be seen.

"_**The burning gust will signal the beginning of the end, then the fi-"**_ All of a sudden the cat broke off, as did the cries in the background, replaced by a muffled noise which grew louder and clearer every second. The cat-shapes all vanished, and everything grew black.

"Willowkit? Willowkit! Wake up you lazy furball!"

Willowkit's eyes snapped open, revealing a blurred image of a black shape with green in the background. She blinked a few times. "Breezekit?" She mewed to the black tom with grey-ringed amber eyes.

"Yep, you have been sleeping in, even more than I did. You were twitching and mewling, are you alright?"

"Ah, yeah! J-just a nightmare…" _At least I think it was. _That nightmare felt real enough to her, but she really hoped that it **was** just a dream. She decided to push it to the back of her mind and concentrate on the new day.

"Well, anyway… Rainkit is waiting outside the nursery." The little tom licked his unkempt fur which stuck up in every direction. "We want to play invaders, but we need you to be the deputy."

"Are you playing the leader?" Willowkit got to her paws and stretched her body out, taking care to avoid a sleeping Pukekoflower and her new litter. The black she-cat with blue-grey tints was curled up around her three tiny kits who were only a quarter moon old. _They're so cute, and so important…_ Willowkit's clan; GustClan, was so low on warriors and apprentices that every kit meant twice as more as in normal times.

"Of course. Rainkit is going to be the invading cat." Breezkit peered out the den entrance. "We better hurry, it looks like Rainkit is getting testy." The black tom sniffed in distaste. "Stupid mousebrained bully."

"I know you don't like him, but he's still your brother, so be nice." Willowkit brushed past Breezekit and out the entrance, flicking her tail at him gently. "Even if he isn't nice to you." She added as Breezkit opened his mouth to protest. The black tom shut his mouth again with a disgruntled look on his face. Breezekit was too lazy to start a pointless argument with Willowkit. She stepped out into the bright light of the day. _It must already be quite a bit past sunrise._ She thought, narrowing her eyes. All around her, cats were going about their business in the camp. A black tom with dark grey stripes and green eyes sat sharing tongues with a long-haired dark grey she-cat with amber eyes, nearby the bush that made the nursery. Willowkit and Breezekit greeted the warriors as they passed by. "Pondwhisker, Nightwhisper. How's the prey running?"

"Lousy, as usual." Pondwhisker spat. "My sister should be doing something about it." The she-cat looked over to the raised earth and fern clump that was the leaders den with a face showing immense displeasure. Willowkit thought she looked like a cat who had just stuck their nose into gullfood.

"Peace, Pondwhisker." Her mate purred, giving her ear a lick. "I am sure that Bushstar will think of something." He then turned to the kits. "Besides, they are too young to listen to adult worries."

"Sure. Whatever you say, Nightwhisper." The dark grey cat stood. "Come on, we must meet up with Sheepfur for the hunting patrol."

As the two cats left, heading towards a thick-pelted white she-cat with black paws that was waiting on the edge of camp, a dark grey tom-kit with ginger patches appeared from behind them. "Excuse me, but I believe we were going to play a game?" He growled.

"Oh, sorry Rainkit. We were talking with some of the warriors." Willowkit sighed inwardly. _Here we go…_

"Talking? Well I'd **hate** to interrupt your little chat session. Please, don't mind me. I'll just play by myself if you two are too busy for your own kin."

_And now he's of in a tangent…_

"Look, just shutup and come play Rainkit." Breezekit flicked his ears at him and walked over to the grassy area in the middle of the camp.

"What did you say?" Rainkit's fur began to rise.

"Just leave it." Willowkit gave Rainkit's shoulder a lick. "Let's just play and forget, eh?"

"Fine." Rainkit didn't look like he wanted to leave it, but he grudgingly padded over to Breezekit.

Willowkit yawned. Keeping her brothers in line and the nightmare from before was stressful. Plus, she and her brothers were six moons, they would be made apprentices soon. _I wish I could speed that up… then those two would have mentor's to watch them. _Then a thought struck her. She raced over to her brothers, excitement bubbling through her. "Hey! Breezekit, Rainkit! I've had the most amazing idea!"

"What? Do you want to be leader?" Breezekit mewed lazily, he was lying on his side in the sun, not even bothering to look up.

Rainkit swatted his head. "Quiet you slug." He hissed. "We're waiting, Willowkit."

"I think we may be able to get Bushstar to make us apprentices faster. We just have to get her attention."

"How?" Breezekit's interest had now been caught.

"Everyone has been talking about the lack of prey, right?" Willowkit was almost bouncing up and down, the thought of finally being an apprentice was amazing. "So what if we go get some, lots of it! Then Bushstar will be so impressed, she will **have** to make us apprentices."

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Breezekit leapt to his paws. "But where to go?"

"Not inside our territory, that's for sure. All the warrior's are complaining about there being nothing to eat since the drought this greenleaf." Rainkit said. "You heard Maplestreak the other day, whinging like he was still as young as Pukekoflower's kits."

Willowkit laughed at the thought of the giant, tough guy russet warrior crying to his mother and father; the elders Runninghorse and Pinefoot, receiving a comforting lick. "Yeah, your right. But where is there prey?" The thought of a long trek both frightened and excited her. The kit's pondered possible locations for a few heartbeats, before the sound of approaching paws distracted them.

"You want to know where there's prey? What for?" A ginger she-cat with dark grey spots and smoky grey eyes came up behind the kits. It was their mother; Wildstorm. "Well, kits?"

"Ummm, we're just interested. You know…?" Willowkit said quickly, trying not to arouse suspicion.

Wildstorm narrowed her eyes. "Sure kits, I tell you where there's prey. It'll be good for you to get some understanding of our home before you become apprentices."

"Thanks mother!" The kit's said in unison.

"There is prey in our territory, but no a lot of it… especially at the moment with this drought. The grass is so dry that mice, rats and rabbits haven't got much to eat, so there's less of them. We do get seed-eating birds here because most of the grasses on our hills are seeded ones. However they are small and hard to catch without cover." Wildstorm spoke slowly, thinking that her kits would be taking in every little word. "For other prey… well, there is the Gathering place."

"Where the clans go for Gatherings?" Willowkit asked. "We can hunt there?"

"Well, that's a complicated question, Willowkit darling. Technically there is nothing that says we can't hunt there, but-"

Is there lots of prey?" Breezekit interrupted.

"Yes, the area is by the lake and is heavily forested, so there is plenty of birds and other prey." Wildstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement at Breezekit's excited tone, clearly assuming that he was only concerned about filling his belly. "But it's not that simple. No clan hunts at the Gathering place, no cat ever has."

"Why? If the clan is hungry, and there's nothing in the warrior code that says we can't hunt there, then we should." Rainkit protested. "If other clan's don't, then there's more for us."

Wildstorm sighed. "It's just not done. I can't really explain… You'll understand when your older." She turned to leave. "I'm must be going now kits. Your father, Frostrain, Takahepaw and I are going on another hunting patrol." She looked over at the dawn patrol who had just returned. A massive grey tom carried a skinny rabbit in his jaws. He was accompanied by a brown and white tom with green eyes and a young black she-cat with a tan marking on her neck, both of whom carried nothing. "Rockshatter, Ferretblaze, Huiapaw! You went hunting as well?" Wildstorm called to the cats.

"Yes." Replied Rockshatter, putting down his rabbit on the pathetically small fresh-kill pile. "On our way along the southern border."

"Please tell me there's more and you just left it behind." Wildstorm gazed sadly at the others empty mouths. Willowkit knew the answer already, the faces of the patrol said it all.

"There is nothing more." Ferretblaze meowed. He sounded completely defeated. "At this rate we will all starve." He slowly picked up the rabbit and made his way to the nursery to feed his mate Pukekoflower and see his kits. Earthshatter whispered something to the apprentice Huiapaw, who then snatched up a mouse and headed over to the hebe bush that held the elders den. As her mother departed, Willowkit could feel the sorrow and despair hanging in camp. They had lost an elder already, and frail Wrenwing was becoming weak from lack of food. _This isn't right. I won't watch my clan die like this… _Her mind was cast back to her terrifying dream, it's prophecy of doom and the screeches of dying cats. _I may just be a kit, and that dream may not of been real, but I can still help my clan like any other cat!_

"We have to do this! I don't care if we are breaking the code or whatever." She hissed quietly to her brothers, full of determination. "We leave now, we're going to hunt in the Gathering place."

Breezekit flicked his gaze around camp. "How are we going to get out with no-one noticing?"

"We sneak out, genius." Rainkit sneered.

"I meant **how** do we sneak out?" Breezekit lashed his tail. "You want a fight? You got one."

"Bring it on, weak little slug."

"Stop it the pair of you!" Willowkit growled, shoving her way between them. "We are doing this for GustClan, and to be apprentices!"

"Right, sorry." Breezekit dipped his head.

"Hhmph." Rainkit huffed after a pause. "Let's just go."

The three kits, following Willowkit, crept behind the nursery. They left the hollow that was GustClans camp, and headed off over the hills. The sun-blanched tall grass was higher than them in some places. The wind that almost always blew over the territory had cause the grass to grow bent over in one direction, as it was making the kits fur sweep the same way. Other than grass, the territory contained rabbit holes, dirt, rocks and the occasional bush. There was only one tree, and that was in camp. The sun had risen high over their heads by the time they had gone far enough downhill to see the forest. "Which way is the Gathering place anyway?" Breezekit groaned from a few cat lengths behind the other two. "We've walked so far already…"

"I've heard Frostrain and Swiftbreeze talking about it. We look for the biggest tree you could ever imagine. A giant oak, I think." Rainkit scanned the land below the hills. Willowkit followed his gaze, all she could see was trees and a corner of the lake. None stood out as being particularly enormous due to the sheet of green, Willowkit couldn't tell where one tree began and the others ended. Nor did she know what an oak tree looked like.

"What does an oak look like?" Breezekit voiced her question for her as he finally caught up. "Are those oaks?" He pointed his tail to tall, pointed dark green trees directly in front of the cats.

"I don't know. Rainkit, did Frostrain and Swiftbreeze say what oak tree's look like?" Willowkit turned to her brother.

"No. I was eavesdropping, remember?" He snapped back. "I couldn't just ask them."

"Sorry I asked." _Grumpy hedgehog… _Willowkit turned back to Breezekit. "Let's just go find out. Once we're closer, we'll be able to tell which is the biggest tree." She took a few paces forward and looked back over her shoulder. "Okay?" She asked her brothers. Breaking the rules or not, Willowkit had made up her mind.

"Whatever." Muttered Rainkit. "You do what you want anyway."

"Yeah, then we can hunt for the clan and be made apprentices!" Breezekit mewed enthusiastically. He bounced forward, tail high. "Let's go!"

**So what do you guys think? Are the kits going in the right direction? Will they find prey for the clan, or will something else find them?**

** Like I said before, I'm not very good at early chapters, so sorry!**

**P.S, in case you didn't see, Rowanpaw is the POV for the next chapter, so we will be coming back to the kits later.**

**See ya!**


	3. Chapter 2

**New chapter, Hooray! Consider it a late Christmas pressie.**

**Just a small heads up! There is a little bit of kiwi slang in here but not much, so don't worry about it. I can't help but give my cats a New Zealand accent!**

**This chapter was a bitch to write, I don't really like it honestly. Dappledpaw and Rowanpaw have proven to be difficult characters to work with…**

**Please, can their creators tell me how I'm doing in terms of writing their personalities? It would really help thanks.**

**On a last note, you may point out grammar mistakes and what-have-you, this is helpful for me. I haven't taken English in a whole year, and I was never really all that good at it to begin with… XD**

**NOW ON WITH THE STORY!**

All was silent. Not a single sound, a hint of small animals anywhere. The gorse bushes and broom swayed only slightly in a barely present breeze, which also carried a few blood-red rata flowers from the forest nearby. All this irritated the fur on Rowanpaws pelt. "Nothing anywhere, great StarClan…" The muttering came from the red-furred tom sitting on a few stone boulders, looking down over a large patch of scrub bush. _Yeah, right. __**StarClan. **_The tom got to his paws and shook off the loose seeds from the grass that had stuck to his pelt. Rowanpaw couldn't believe that some dead cats in the stars could control, or even see, what was going on in GorseClans territory, let alone stop or create a drought. It didn't make logical sense. If a cat gave him tangible, physical proof, then, maybe, he would believe in StarClan.

He walked away from the rocky outcrop, heading for the river. Despite the fact it was almost completely bone dry, save a few shallow puddles, the underground water was still feeding the root of the plants on its bank. Prey would be plentiful enough there… but GorseClan was not starving. Not like Rowanpaw's mentor (and mother); Freezefang, said GustClan was. There was less prey, but still enough to feed all the cats in GorseClan, you just had to know where to look. Freezefang had ordered him and Fallingpaw to spend the entire morning hunting for the queens. GorseClan was thriving, they had three litters of kits and another one on they way, but it did mean more hunting for all the apprentices and warriors.

Of course, as far as he was concerned, Rowanpaw was the one who should be giving orders. Rowanpaw considered himself very intelligent, well, at least far more intelligent than the other apprentices. _I should be on a border patrol right now, protecting the clan as a warrior! Instead I'm slogging away out here in the heat at sunhigh, hunting for kits as a lowly apprentice! My mother and Sorrelstar should be smart enough to realise I am ready to be a warrior now… but no! Apparently being smart and a great fighter isn't good enough for them, I have to be a good hunter too. No-cat is perfect are they…? _Hunting was not one of Rowanpaw's strengths.

By the time Rowanpaw had tuned back into his surroundings, he was already at the empty river. He tasted the air, searching for the scent of prey. The tantalising smell of mouse hit his nose. Whipping his head around to the right, he spotted it amongst a few broom bushes at the edge of where the river used to begin. The little grey-brown creature was nibbling away at some seeds on the ground, and had not yet noticed Rowanpaw's presence. Using the large river stones and scrub as cover, the tom slid over to the mouse, keeping low to the ground and light on his feet, just as Freezefang had taught him. He could almost hear her sour-toned voice now; "_What are you Rowanpaw, a dog? Stomping around like that, every mouse from here to FernClan will hear you coming… No kit of mine will hunt that poorly, learn to stalk quietly will you!"_ Freezefang didn't hate Rowanpaw in particular, he knew that. Freezefang was just a grumpy plover*** **to every cat, even her mate and kits. Indeed, she sometimes was just plain cold.

Rowanpaw paused, tensing his muscles to prepare to attack. He let out a hiss and sprung upon his prey, only to flop down again when he came to realise it was no longer there, but was now hanging from the mouth of another cat which had taken its place in the broom. The she-cat was a dark tortoiseshell and white with blue eyes and she was the precious daughter of GorseClans leader. "What are you doing Dappledpaw?" Snarled Rowanpaw. "That is **my** mouse you have there." He was mad, very mad. From the position Dappledpaw had been stalking from, she clearly would have seen him already going for the mouse, yet she chose to take it anyway.

The she-cat's eyes widened in a mocking stare. "Oh, its your mouse is it? Then why didn't you catch it huh?" She then flattened her ears and her voice turned more spiteful. "Now I remember, its because you're an inferior hunter!" She began to walk away, her tail tip twitching slightly.

Rowanpaw began to feel his temper rising. Dappledpaw was probably his least favourite cat in the whole clan. She was nasty, aggressive, stuck-up and settles for nothing less than perfection, from herself and all the other cats around her. That, and she was the only she-cat apprentice he knew that wasn't affected by his handsome tom-cat charms…Dappledpaw and Rowanpaw had been fighting with each other as sworn enemies since kithood, and clearly that was not going to change today. Rowanpaw knew he would regret it, but he decided that he was going to retaliate to the she-cat and her foul temper. "And you are an inferior fighter, and are about as intelligent as a rock compared to me last time I checked!" He yowled at the retreating tortoiseshell.

That got a response. Dappledpaw whipped around and bared her fangs at him. "What'd you say, gullfood?" She stalked angrily right up to him and trust her head in his face, so her glaring blue eyes met his satisfied yet still annoyed silver ones.

"I said your dumb and couldn't fight a kit." Rowanpaw said smugly, not even flinching under the tortoiseshells fury.

"How dare you say that, maggot-pelt!" She hissed in his ear.

"Because I can, stupid." Rowanpaw unsheathed his claws. "It's true and you know it, and it pisses you off. That's why your such a horrible little cat to me. Because I am bett-" Rowanpaw then broke off as Dappledpaw let out a vicious growl and aimed a swipe at his head. He ducked it as he swerved around behind her. "See? I would've gone for a trip-up myself there. Harder to dodge."

"You, your so cocky… Well, you may be now, but just you wait. One day I will be leader, just like my mother. Then I'll take you down a peg or two, Rowanpaw." Dappledpaw turned around to face him once more. She crouched before him like he was that mouse. Her voice was now quieter, more composed. Deadly serious. Her eyes were hard, like chips of dark blue ice. She looked quite menacing.

"No, I will be leader. And when I am, I'm going to kick you out, because a psycho like you deserves to be fighting with mangy rouges." Despite his bravado, Rowanpaw's confidence was waning. Dappledpaw was now just being plain creepy. "I'll be leader before you even come close."

Dappledpaw then tilted her head, like she was confused by his statement.

"So you dreamed last night too, then?" Dappledpaws peculiar question took Rowanpaw by surprise. Then he thought back to this morning. When he had woken, Dappledpaw was still fast asleep in the apprentices den, and she had been twitching and muttering, as if she was having a bad dream…

"What was that?" He asked her back, lowering his guard as he was now sure she would no longer attack. Her claws had been put back in their sheaths, she had straightened up her posture and her ears had come forward. "Dream?"

"You dreamt of the clashing fire and water?" She looked him up and down then said in a scathing voice; "No, I doubt it. You speak from your own self importance. Not from certainty that you were destined for greatness." She sniffed in a superior way, picked up the mouse she had dropped in her fury and walked away once more. "You no longer amuse me, continue hunting for the queens… I will be returning to camp. You better catch something impressive, I passed Fallingpaw earlier." Rowanpaw thought about the gentle, but slightly nervous and shy she-cat. _Dappledpaw probably frightens the fur off of her. _"She had a rabbit, if you want to prove your warrior material to my mother now, catch a possum or something." Rowanpaw almost let out a gasp. _How does she know I think I should be a warrior now? I haven't told any cat, is it that obvious?_ She paused briefly, turning her head slightly so she could fix one eye on Rowanpaw in a cold glare. "I suggest you don't cross me again Rowanpaw." And with that, she vanished into the surrounding scrub, heading for the cliff that held GorseClans camp and leaving a somewhat bewildered Rowanpaw in her wake.

The red tom shook his head. _She-cats…. They're all bloody mental. Well, that one is anyway._ Having gone from hunting to anger to fighting to slight fear to confusion to calm again all in a few short moments was tiring. Rowanpaw decided to go lie down in the shade of one of the few large trees in the territory. He didn't have to travel far. The part of the river bank he was hunting on was close to the border with FernClan, and that was where most of the trees were. It was known to GorseClan as Tree Grove. Because the ground beneath the willow and beech trees was soft and covered in old leaves, it was where battle training took place. As he passed under the first willow tree, he let out a sigh and flopped down beneath it. "Hunting can wait, Freezefang gave me all day… I need to rest." It was too hot to hunt in the open now, as it was the peak of sunhigh. The apprentice was literally panting. Rowanpaw decided to take a break under the trees, then see if he could find anything in the Tree Grove before heading up the area known as Cliff Creek, where it was cooler.

After relaxing briefly, Rowanpaw began to get bored, so he started to look over the border to FernClan, which he was quite close to. The GorseClan/FernClan border went from flat ground only a few cat lengths away from Tree Grove on the GorseClan side, to suddenly rising up sheerly to form a forested hill running parallel to, but not a part of the cliffs. Rowanpaw had always been curious about his FernClan neighbours. His clan really didn't concern itself with FernClan because of two reasons. The first was that FernClan had never shown any interest in GorseClan and vice-versa, as there was enough prey and territory for each clan to be content with. The second was that FernClan was always so busy with fighting MarshClan, they almost never came down to this end of their territory apart from border patrols.

Since he wasn't expecting any cat to be there anyway, Rowanpaw went to have a closer look across the border, he padded up the hill, swerving around the increasing number of trees. _How do FernClan cats put up with all these plants? They can't even walk in a straight line half the time!_ As he reached the border, the pungent, earthy and woody smell of FernClan hit his nose. _Blargh! And they stink too… they smell like rotten wood and dirt. _Rowanpaw curled his lip and scrunched up his nose, trying to drive the odour out. This made him also shut his eyes tightly, but he kept walking and ended up plunging straight into a large, tangled bush. "Meeow!" He yowled in surprise, as he thrashed around, trying to free himself. This only succeeded in getting him further stuck. "Bah." Rowanpaw puffed after awhile, hanging limply in the bush. "It's that flamin' thicket all over again." Rowanpaw felt his fur grow hot just thinking about **that **embarrassing incident from when he was a kit, when Nectarpelt and Nightsky had to come to his rescue.

Suddenly there was a mrrowing noise coming from the wall of green in front of Rowanpaw. "I bet that would have been almost as funny as this is." Said a female voice.

"Oh you think this is funny, do you?" Rowanpaw spat at the unseen cat, which continued to laugh at him. Rowanpaw bared his teeth and flattened his ears, feeling defensive. "Come and try it then, I bet you'll love it."

"_Merrooow, merr, mrroww. _Yeah, na.**_" _A pair of light grey eyes, a bit like Rowanpaws own silver ones appeared in amongst the leaves. "Easy, tough guy. If the wind blows your face will freeze like that." The eyes narrowed, watching Rowanpaw with an amused look. "Are all of you GorseClan cats like this?"

"Like what?"

"Touchy." The cat then emerged from the foliage. It was a young she-cat, most likely an apprentice. She had grey fur with golden markings on her face and sides. She was quite pretty. "The name's Keapaw. And you, gorse-pelt?"

"Rowanpaw. My name is Rowanpaw."

*** Plover (Spur-Winged Plover) : A foul-tempered bird found in New Zealand which nests on the ground and has spurs on its wings, dive-bombs all perceived threats and is very determined. A **

**legendary nuisance.**

**** "Yeah, na": This little gem of kiwi lingo can be heard quite often around here, basically it is an immediate contradiction. Your saying "Yes, but no." Not really sure why we say it, but we do. I couldn't help but throw it in there.**

**So Rowanpaw has had an odd encounter with a grumpy Dappledpaw, and has now met an much-friendlier enemy she-cat! What will you do Rowanpaw? WHAT WILL YOU DO?**

**Slightly shorter than last time, sorry!**

**Next update will be some time away, I think. I am moving in a few weeks, and I will then be starting University. So after that updates are likely to be more random in timing. I will TRY to update before then.**

**I don't know who the next chapter will be about. I am still mulling it over. Review and give me your opinions.**

**Suggestions for the storyline are always welcome too, PM those if you want. Doesn't mean I will do them, but I will consider what my readers want.**

**Until next time, happy new year! ;D**


	4. Chapter 3

**WHOO! I did it, another chapter before I move, AND IT'S THE LONGEST ONE YET! :D**

**This chapter is split, first we return to Willowkit's POV, then we go to Skinkpaw's.**

**Please enjoy, its not the greatest chapter I have ever written, I think… But still its here. **

**P.S I have no idea how long this story will be, probably quite long.**

Willowkit gazed up at the massive trees in front of her in wonder, after all, she and her brothers had never seen anything like them before. They seemed almost as tall as the mountains which her clans territory lay in the shadows of. She shifted her paws in the strange, somewhat prickly brown things that covered the ground. Willowkit assumed that they must be fallen leaves from the trees above, as their branches appeared to be covered in similar stuff, except that is was dark green.

By the time the kits had reached the bottom of the hills and walked into the shade of the trees, it was well past sunhigh, the bright ball of fire had crept closer to the mountains and was now behind them.

"Well," Rainkit said slowly. "We're here. Now what?" He glanced around, as if he was looking out for danger. "Did we cross the border yet?"

"Yeah. I smelled it just back there. Our markers, which smell like dry grass and sheep, and another marker, which smell a bit like these trees here and there's maybe a hint of…" The little tom sniffed the air. "Flowers, I think… Anyway, it was back there." Breezekit jerked his head over his shoulder, indicating to the twoleg fence that the kits had just crawled under. "Now where's the biggest tree?" He took a few steps forward and peered around the trunk of one of the trees and wildflowers. All he could see where more trees like the others, and beyond that, an area that seemed to be a field of grass. "I can't tell. They all look massive to me…" He turned back to Willowkit and met her gaze with an uncertain look in his amber eyes. "Maybe we should just go back, find prey on our own territory..."

"Oh, is the little baby slug **scared**?" Rainkit meowed smugly. "Go home then, if your afraid." He then strode out in front of Breezekit. "No, your probably to lazy to hunt. That's why you want to go home isn't it?"

"Shutup Rainkit!" The other tom-kit hissed, his tail arching into the air. "You don't know anything!" He unsheathed his claws, as Rainkit did the same. A full blown scrap was about to break out from where Willowkit was standing, if she let them keep going like this.

Willowkit let of an exasperated growl. _Again with the fighting?_ She'd had enough of her brothers fighting for one day already. "Alright! That's enough you two." She shoved her way between them yet again. "I am done with you two always arguing like a pair of starlings! And I am done with trying to stop you, from now on you can sort it out yourselves." Breezekit looked somewhat ashamed of himself, but Rainkit just leered at his sister in a grumpy way. She let out a small sigh. "I am going to hunt now. That tree over there is the biggest I can see, so it must be the giant oak." She pointed to a particularly large tree some distance away. "You can **both** go home if you keep acting like that around me. I can be an apprentice and be thanked by the clan for bringing food and you two can stay in the nursery." She looked at both of them, flicked her ears and then walked towards the biggest tree.

Breezekit watched her go and paced back and forth for a moment with a distressed look in his eyes, before calling out; "I'm sorry Willowkit! I wanna hunt with you!" He then ran hurriedly after her. He joined her and muttered something in her ear, before they shared a lick between the ears by way of an apology.

Rainkit watched them, tried to look indifferent for awhile, but eventually he too seemed to think better of sitting alone in unknown terrain and sped after his siblings.

The kits spent the next hour or so searching for prey in-between the trees and amongst the grasses and shrubs. Willowkit was the only one who had actually caught anything so far, a small goldfinch which had been far to focused on eating for its own good. Rainkit had come close to catching a mouse, but at the last minute he had tripped over a tree root and scared it off. Willowkit and Breezekit (who seemed to have not the patience for hunting as three times now he had been lying in wait, then ruined it by announcing quite loudly that waiting was too boring), tried their best the muffle their laughter.

"Well… I think that you have probably made every bit of prey in the area aware of us now, Rainkit." Willowkit mewed after Rainkit had picked himself of the ground, his face very sour looking indeed. "Lets try over there." She indicated to an area off slightly risen ground on the other side of the large field. Small trees were dotted around it and there were also a few bushes. _Looks like there would be prey there to me._ She thought happily. She proudly picked up her little finch to carry it with her.

"Maybe you should leave that here?" Rainkit said. "I heard the warriors bury it so its hidden from hawks and dogs and stuff." He took the dead bird from Willowkit, made a small scoop in the ground, then kicked dirt and the strange, stick-like leaves over it. "There." He meowed when he was finished. "Now we can go."

Willowkit thought he sounded slightly superior. _Know it all._.. _You are such a know it all._

The three kits began to head off towards the risen earth on the other side of the field, completely unaware that four pairs of curious but hostile eyes were watching them a few tree lengths away, hidden behind a fallen log.

Four cats slunk through the tall brown grass in single file, making a path that would be visible from above. Orange poppies, dandelions and other wildflowers were scatted throughout the field. The cats were following three enemy cats as they made their way to the other side of the field. The smallest of the four, a light brown tom with darker stripes, hissed to the cat up ahead of him. "Hey Possumtail," The dark grey tom with a long black tail in front of him jumped in surprise . "Can you see them yet?" The tom's dark green eyes flashed impatiently as Possumtail looked wildly around in fear, his pelt fluffed up. "Don't worry, we aren't under attack." The younger tom growled in exasperation. Possumtail was always this jumpy, and it tended to get on most cats nerves.

The older cat finally settled his gaze on the light brown tom, allowing his fur to lie flat and his wild yellow eyes to calm. " S-Skinkpaw…" Possumtail stammered. "D-don't frighten me like that…" The dark grey tom blinked slowly, clearly considering the original question. " Oh-ah, no. I can't see them… Batear and Heronlegs are in the way, and so is the grass."

Skinkpaw rolled his eyes.

"Chill out Possumtail… No need to panic, just relax bro." Said Batear, the black tom cat who was padding leisurely along behind at the back, watching the clouds. "Every thing'll be sweet." Batear's name had a pretty obvious origin. The blue-eyed tom had enormous ears sticking straight up like a bats.

Skinkpaw rolled his eyes again. _All the warriors in this clan are so…_

Batear then began to tell Possumtail that one of the clouds looked like a hungry dog that was about to eat them all, and that it was getting closer. Batear said "Cool, eh bro?" but it also freaked the poor timid Possumtail out even more.

_Idiots. They're just idiots. _Skinkpaw began to mull over how life in MarshClan would be (Probably wet, he assumed.), before his thoughts were interrupted by his clan's deputy, who was leading the procession.

"Will you three please be quiet?" Mewed the she-cat named Heronlegs in an annoyed tone. "We are trying to **sneak up **on these three." She was a pretty cat with light, greyish-blue fur and very long legs.

Skinkpaw nodded silently, and the two warriors did the same. Skinkpaw had been out learning how to escape from dogs with Heronlegs when Batear and Possumtail, who had been on a patrol with the apprentice Deerpaw and her mentor Waspfang, had run up to them, reporting that three unknown cats were hunting on their territory. Deerpaw had been sent to report to Shadystar, who was busy watching over the birth of the queen Silverseal's litter, and Waspfang had decided to finish the last leg of the patrol alone.

Now Skinkpaw and the other three cats were following the intruders, which carried the scent of GustClan.

Skinkpaw, a question on the tip of his tounge, weaved around Possumtail to fall into step beside Heronlegs.

"Heronlegs? May I ask you something?"

"You just did." The she-cat purred. "No, I was just joking." She added quickly when she saw Skinkpaw narrow his eyes. "You may."

"Why would GustClan be hunting on our territory? I mean, FieldClan stays out of the other clans way, but does that make us look so weak that the other clans think we can't defend our borders?" Skinkpaw couldn't quite understand why these three cats thought they would get away with crossing a border and hunting on another clans territory.

"No, I don't think it does, young one…" Heronlegs said slowly. "I think that GustClan is just desperate. It has almost been a moon since the last gathering, and they were skinny-looking then. I can't imagine how little prey there must be on their territory now." She looked back over her shoulder towards GustClan and Skinkpaw did the same. The dry light brown, almost white hills were stark in appearance even from this distance. The deputies bright blue eyes clouded with sadness, which confused the apprentice.

"Why do you look upset Heronlegs? It's an enemy clan! Why should we care if they starve?"

Heronlegs blinked at him. "A long time ago, when I was an apprentice, my father Thornwind moved to GustClan… He was never happy in FieldClan, even after he took a mate and had kits. He loved the hills, the mountain wind in his fur, and the nature of the GustClan cats." She shook her head slowly, as if she was trying to rid herself of the hurtful memory. "I was sad at first when he left, and so was my mother… But when we saw him at a gathering he was so happy with GustClan, it made us happy too."

"So your worried about him?" Skinkpaw asked.

"Yes, he must be very old now. I haven't seen him in a long time, not since mother died." Heronlegs talked as she continued to look for the intruders. "Honestly I have no idea if he is still alive. With this drought, and resulting lack of prey, it is very likely that some of GustClans elders have gone to StarClan."

Skinkpaw was thinking about what Heronlegs had said, when she suddenly threw him a sharp look. He stopped, confused, until he caught the GustClan cats scent again. _Yes, now we can see some action! Time to claw me a few mangy GustClan pelts! _Any sympathy for GusClan he had just acquired vanished. Possumtail was already slinking along on his belly, fur fluffed right up and ears back. His eyes had the wild-fear look to them again. In contrast, Batear was still cloud-gazing, not a care in the world, perhaps not even aware of the scent.

Then Heronlegs stopped and crouched down behind a bush-like plant with long, waxy, dark green leaves and small lavender flowers. Skinkpaw believed it was called koromiko, he had seen Cindereye (FieldClans medicine cat) using it. He and the others followed suit. "Can you see them?" Skinkpaw hissed to the she-cat between his teeth.

"Yes." She whispered back. "Look, there. By the Rabbit Hill." She flicked her ears over to the area of raised earth and stones, which also was littered with rabbit holes. There were three very small cats there, moving from hole to hole, peering into each one. One of the cats was light brown, the other black and the last one dark grey.

"Bro... They are **tiny**." Batear exclaimed as quietly as he could. "I don't remember GustClan as being that small before."

"Neither do I. In fact, I think those three are apprentices, not warriors." Heronlegs turned to Possumtail. "Your our best lookout Possumtail. Go scope them out, then report back once you get a good look."

Possumtail looked less than thrilled about going closer to the cats, but he didn't dare defy his deputy. The dark grey tom crept around the koromiko bush and vanished into the grass with a swish of his long tail.

The FieldClan cats waited patiently for Possumtail's return. Skinkpaw amused himself by listening to the GustClan cats arguing. He couldn't make out the words, but it sure sounded like arguing to him.

After what seemed like a moon to Skinkpaw, Possumtail returned.

"Well?" Heronlegs asked him as he settled back down again, licking a few bits of twig and leaves off his pelt. "Do you recognise them?"

"No… They…well, they're kits…" Possumtail replied, sounding like he doubted his own eyes. "Almost apprentice aged, but still kits… I heard a name, the only she-cat is called Willowkit. She's the brown one." He indicated to Willowkit, who currently had her head down a rabbit hole.

"Kits?" Heronlegs meowed with surprise. "Are GustClan so desperate that they are sending kits to do their dirty work?" She sounded angry. Skinkpaw knew that Heronlegs thought kits should be treated better than any other cat in a clan.

"I've heard that name before. Willowkit." Batear said, speaking for the first time in a while. "Yeah, I heard it a a gathering. It was the name of one of Wildstorm and Darkshine's kits, right bro?" He turned to Possumtail, who contemplated it for a second, then nodded.

"Is that so?" Heronlegs said slowly. "Anyway, kits or not, they need to be taught a lesson about trespassing."

"We aren't going to hurt them are we?" Possumtail asked her. "Because I don't attack kits."

"Neither do I, Possumtail." The grey-blue she-cat looked him directly in the eyes. "We are just going to give them a little fright, it'll keep them away from our border for some time I think."

Skinkpaw was growing impatient. _By the time we are done talking those kits will of left our territory, taking our prey with them!_ "Can we just do this already?"

"Alright." Heronlegs stood. "FieldClan, attack!" She yowled a battle cry and sprung out from behind the koromiko bush, landing right in front of three very surprised, terrified kits. Skinkpaw flew out from behind the plant too, claws unsheathed. _Finally! Time for some action!_ He thought, blood already pounding in his ears. He noticed Possumtail and Batear had appeared behind him out of the corner of his eye. They surrounded the kits, the black kit getting swatted backwards with one of Batear's paws as he attempted to escape.

Skinkpaw then turned his attention to the kits. Willowkit and the dark grey tom were looking more defiant than the black tom, who crouched behind the other two.

"You three!" Heronlegs growled fiercely. _She's really hamming this 'scare them straight thing' up… _"You are trespassing deep within FieldClan territory, and hunting no less!" She too unsheathed her claws. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

The dark grey kit flattened his ears and hissed at the four older cats. "FieldClan territory? This is neutral gathering territory! Nothing in the warrior code says we can't hunt here."

"Are you serious, you stupid little furball?" Skinkpaw snapped at him. "The Gathering Hollow is over there." The light brown apprentice jerked his head over to a large emerald green treeline to the north. "See the top of the Great Tree?" He waved his tail at the top of the massive tree, poking up above the rest of the canopy. "These are FieldClan hunting grounds." He repeated Heronlegs earlier statement. "Go home now, and **maybe** we won't attack you."

Heronlegs cleared her throat. "Thankyou Skinkpaw, but **I** will be doing the talking from now on." She glared at him, letting him know he had spoken out of turn. She stepped toward the kits. "You were not aware that you are trespassing?"

"No." Spoke Willowkit, meeting the FieldClan she-cats gaze evenly. _Brave for a kit, aren't you…_ The light brown kit flicked her gaze to her brothers. "Rainkit, Breezekit and I just wanted to help our clan. That's all. We need more prey, and well, our mother said that the Gathering place was neutral territory… but we couldn't tell what kind of tree was the right one." A defiant light shone in the kits eyes. "We didn't do anything wrong, we didn't know."

"Yeah, so get lost!" The dark grey tom snarled, glaring directly at Skinkpaw. Skinkpaw growled back, irritated by this little enemy kit who seemed to think he could fight him and win. _Your just asking to get shredded…. Oh, I can't wait till you're an apprentice, then I can fight you and not feel bad or get in trouble for it._

Simultaneously, both Willowkit and Heronlegs threw a silencing glance at their respective charges.

"Skinkpaw!"

"Rainkit!"

Heronlegs nodded to Possumtail, who dipped his head and vanished into the tall grass, heading in the direction of the FieldClan camp. She then turned back to the kits. "Willowkit, Breezekit, Rainkit. Please come with me." She urged them to follow with a flick of her tail. "Come."

**YES I DID. I made Batear a "Bro". How can you have a New Zealand based story, and NOT have a bro character. On a related note, I have made Possumtail and Batear brothers, so it also makes sense.**

**I am still deciding who to write about next, I am thinking of returning to GorseClan, or starting a new bit with either MarshClan or FernClan.**

**OR MAYBE I'LL STAY HERE, WHO KNOWS?**

**Please review, you guys are my drive! :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Because I am kind, I am giving you one more chapter before I move! It's my shortest, but I didn't have as much time on my hands as normal…**

**I didn't like leaving you with the last chapter, so this one has a proper cliff-hanger. You also get to hear the whole prophecy! It's a little long for a prophecy, but I couldn't get what I wanted with a short one.**

**Enjoy, and please review, you guys keep me going! :D**

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Specklefur paused, scenting the air. _Now where did those two apprentices go?_ She gazed around the base of Tangle Hill, searching for some sign. _Trust Keapaw to go missing…._

Specklefur had been busy gathering herbs at the other end of the territory with Cloverdapple when Harefoot and Willowstrike showed up, both quite out of breath. They had told them their story, then shot off in different directions.

Harefoot's apprentice Keapaw had been out hunting, but she was supposed to return at sunhigh, which she hadn't. So Harefoot had grabbed the only apprentice who was still in camp; Gorsepaw, to go out looking for her. She hadn't come back to where her mentor Willowstrike was going to meet her either…. So now FernClan had two missing apprentices and no clue where to find them (apart from the fact Keapaw said she was going to hunt down by the GorseClan border).

So now Specklefur had run all the way down from the opposite end of the territory to look for them in the densest undergrowth in the whole forest; on Tangle Hill. _When I find that Keapaw I'm going to march her straight to Flamestar! _Suppressing her annoyance she called out. "Keapaw! Gorsepaw! Are you here?" The warrior assumed that the two she-cats may be together already. They were very good friends because of their similar personalties.

Specklefur's ears twitched as she heard a muffling noise in the distance. "Huh?" She muttered. "What was that?"

The light brown spotted tabby she-cat spent the next few minutes scrambling up Tangle Hill, crawling under, bursting through or going around various plants towards the noise. It was definitely getting louder and more distinct. It was the sound of a fight.

"Great StarClan!" She exclaimed out loud, now rushing forward. _Oh please don't let Keapaw and Gorsepaw be hurt by some GorseClan savage! _The panicked she-cat imagined several scenarios, each worse than the last as she grew closer and heard the voices shouting things like;

"This'll teach you!" and "You'll pay for that,"

However the scenario she found was defiantly not what she was expecting as she burst out of the last bush and lay her eyes on the scene.

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Gorsepaw and Keapaw wrestled on the ground. Keapaw had her jaws latched around one of Gorsepaw's back legs and was clearly refusing to let go, while Gorsepaw struck repeatedly on her head with her claws. Both she-cats were screeching insults and threats at each other as they thrashed about in the dirt, and in the middle of all this, just on his side of the border was a young, red-furred GorseClan tom, and by the look on his face, he was enjoying the fight very much. Amusement shone in his silver eyes.

Specklefur wasn't quite sure how to react at first. After staring blankly for a moment she decided the first thing she should do was break up the FernClan apprentices. After leaping into the fray, she pushed them both apart, yowling "STOP IT!" at the top of her voice.

After the two finally gave up and flopped down in a heap of brown tabby and grey fur, Specklefur switched her gaze between the two of them and their guilty faces. "What in the name of StarClan is wrong with you two? Fighting each other like this, in front of an enemy no less!" She threw a glare at him too, but he just kept the same amused expression.

"Well?" Speckefur said in a deadly voice. Normally she was very kind to other cats, but Gorsepaw and Keapaw were both hyper and unruly. They needed to be treated with sternness.

The apprentices exchanged uncertain, if still angry glances, widening and narrowing their eyes at each other and jerking their heads, having a silent argument about who would speak first. Keapaw won, much to Gorsepaws disgust. "I came looking for **that** idiot," She threw a foul look at Keapaw. "And when I finally found her here, I saw her with **him.**" She then glared at the mystery GorseClan cat. "She was brushed right up against him! I bet she's been seeing him in secret!" Gorsepaw was the daughter of the leader, and Specklefur knew she followed him in her absolute following of the warrior code, even to the point where she'd hate her best friend if they broke it.

Keapaw stood up and looked Specklefur right in the eyes. "I swear on StarClan that I didn't do anything, Specklefur. I was hunting here when **that idiot**_**-**_"

"Could you please stop referring to me like that? I have a name you know." The tom narrowed his eyes at the she-cats before him.

"Yeah, whatever gorse-pelt." Keapaw said without really paying attention.

"Its **Rowanpaw.**"

All three she-cats ignored him. The tom flatted his ears and narrowed his eyes.

"Anyway…" Keapaw said slowly. "Like I said, the GorseClan cat was stuck in a bush, he looked ridiculous. I thought about attacking him, but it just wasn't fair, so I got him out." She glanced at Gorsepaw to make sure she was listening. "Then I pushed him back over his side of the border, Gorsepaw just came when I began shoving him, so it looked like I was… I don't know- the point is I wasn't **seeing him** or anything! I don't do things like that, I follow the warrior code." She said all this very quickly, so Specklefur had to pause and take it all in for a moment. _Alright… I believe her, she isn't the lying type. That's one problem dealt with. _She turned to Rowanpaw. "Your turn." She growled. Specklefur fixed him with her blue eyes. "Gorsepaw, Keapaw. Go back to camp."

"No way."

"Yeah! I wanna stay!" Whined Gorsepaw, all her hostility with Keapaw now forgotten. The two now sat side-by-side. _Oh no…_ Specklefur thought. _The hyper idiot duo are back together again. All hope of getting them to do what I say is lost._

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After a lot of arguing, Specklefur finally relented and let the apprentices stay while she interrogated Rowanpaw (they both added in their own little comments here and there) and then sent him on his way. She decided there had been no malicious intent on his part, so let his minor trespass slide.

The three she-cats now headed back to camp, mulling over whether or not to hunt on their way. Specklefur thought that they should let the clan know the apprentices were alright. But Gorsepaw and Keapaw insisted that they should hunt, as neither of them had been able to catch anything because of what they had now dubbed "The Rowanpaw incident". Luckily for Specklefur, they came across the glossy-black warrior Tuitail, who said she would take the message to the camp.

So now they were hunting halfway back to camp, up by the cliffs. All of them had caught something. Specklefur, (who was feeling very proud of herself, and was happy she had done well in front of the apprentices) had caught a fat pigeon and Keapaw had caught a decent-sized blackbird with a spectacular leap in the air, which Specklefur had praised her for. But poor Gorsepaw had only just clumsily caught a small mouse. _This isn't like her. _Thought Specklefur, concerned. _Willowstrike told me she was a pretty good hunter. Come to think of it, _She glanced sideways at the apprentice, who was now congratulating Keapaw on her catch. The brown tabby sounded sincere, but hollow. Her normally bright green eyes were clouded, like she had something weighing heavily on her mind. _She hasn't really been herself all day… Maybe I should treat her, cheer her up._

"Hey, you two?" Specklefur called, looking up at the cliffs.

"Yes?" They replied in unison, automatically following the warriors gaze. "Is the cliff going to collapse?"

"No, no. I was just wondering what it would look like from the top…" Specklefur tried to sound casual, offhand. She had been to the top of the cliffs before, so she knew that there was quite a treat for the apprentices to see. "You know, we can go have a look if you want to." She blinked at the she-cats, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "No-cat will know…"

"YES! Can we, can we?" Cried Keapaw, shooting over the cliff side and putting a single paw on it. She was literally bouncing up and down with excitement. "Come on, Gorsepaw."

Gorsepaw looked a bit more indecisive, the tip of her off-white striped tail was twitching. "Are you sure we won't get in trouble?"

"Yes, **if **we get caught, I will get in trouble, not you two." Specklefur licked the top of Gorsepaw's head. "It'll be worth it anyway, I hear something very cool is up there."

"Okay then." The younger cat went over to stand beside Keapaw and then the she-cats acceded the cliff face together. It wasn't very easy, but it was doable.

When they reached the top, Gorsepaw and Keapaw both gasped. It was quite a sight. They could see right out over the territories. They could see the tops of trees, the marsh, the lake and the hill beyond. Behind them was rolling farmland and beyond that intimidating mountains covered in dense native forest. The sun was almost to the hills now, it was nearly sunset.

Specklefur and the apprentices were admiring the view for a while, not really focusing on anything, when suddenly she felt Keapaw stiffen beside her. She smelt her fear scent rise off her body.

"What is it?" Specklefur hissed, alarmed, she began to look wildly in all directions. She saw that Gorsepaw had now frozen too, the look of horror on her face and in her eyes was even worse than Keapaw's.

"What?" Specklefur repeated.

"GustClan… It- its on fire." Keapaw whispered slowly, staring straight ahead.

Specklefur felt something inside her plummet. _Oh great StarClan help them…_ Keapaw was right. Great plumes of smoke rose up into the sky off the distant hills, raging flames could be seen making their way across the territory, burning all in their path. The flames glow tainted even the black smoke with orange.

She looked over at the apprentices. Keapaw was terrified. All cats fear fire, and Specklefur knew that Keapaw had a friend in GustClan, but it was Gorsepaw that worried her.

The tabby she-cat was trembling, her mouth was slightly agape, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. But it was what she next that truly scared Specklefur, more than the fire itself.

"The burning Gust…." She choked out. "_**All five will fall. None will come after, none will survive…. The burning gust will signal the beginning of the end, then the fire will come like sideways rain, speeding off from two legs and the flesh of trees will be cut. Prey, cats and forest alike tainted… Only the scattered who live together can save the five, and only five can find them beyond the tail of the liquid stars.**__"_

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**So there you go, a cliff-hanger ON A CLIFF! **

**Hope you enjoyed it, this is all for a little while.**

**Next chapter will be back to Willowkit, then on to MarshClan.**


	6. An extra for you

**Hey again everyone! Now before you get too excited this isn't a new chapter… I am hard at work on it though, trying to get it just right. (BTW, I should have it done before I move BUT THIS WILL BE THE ABSOULUTE LAST CHAPTER BEFORE THAT HAPPENS) Oh, and at least one cat will die next chapter…. I wonder who it will be….. *laughs evilly***

**This is just a little something extra for you, for those of you who have Google Earth, go on it and type in Taylor Dam, Blenheim New Zealand. It will take you to a birds eye view of the place that the Clan territories are based off. Obviously it isn't exactly the same, there's more native bush etc, but it will give those of you who are interested a better understanding. See if you can guess which Clan territory is which. First one who does gets a virtual Batear plushie!**

**Enjoy, you'll have you "The Five" fix again soon!**

**Kiwifeather :3**


	7. Chapter 5

**Here it is! The absolute last chapter before my move! And before I begin, here is a new feature of mine: Feature my FanFic. I read your fanfic and if I like it, I feature you at the beginning of a chapter, and you do the same for me. This results in more readers for both of us!**

**So my first feature is xxShadowheartxx's A Tribe's Life! Go read it, its awesome! Regular updates, multiple points of view and create-a-cat tribe cats! What more do you want? My only criticism? I want to see my cats in there soon! XD**

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Willowkit sat, wide-eyed, in the middle of an enemy camp. Tall trees and bramble surrounded the camp on all sides, you couldn't even see through it. Breezekit lay beside her, looking scared. He hadn't said a word since they were captured. Rainkit was standing just apart from her on the other side, his eyes were darting from one strange cat to the next and the tip of his tail was twitching. _Yeahhhhh…. This is definitely not where I pictured my day to end up…_ She thought, turning her head in every direction, taking in everything her brain could process.

Cats roamed around or sat about the camp, some glaring at her and her brothers, other completely ignoring them. Willowkit could hear kits wailing from beneath the branches a fallen tree (which Willowkit had now learnt were called pines), the nursery was also enclosed with ferns and a blackberry vine. A sliver tabby queen squeezed inside after a quick glance at the strangers. Another silver cat, this one a tom, was watching her with narrowed eyes. He sat beside a pile of fallen pine-branches, which was shaded by a living tree and surrounded with very tall grass, almost two cat-heights high. An aged white tom with a brown blaze down his face poked his head out and leered at the silver tom.

"Sealbite. What are ya doing?" The tom questioned the warrior in a complaining-type voice typical of an elder. "Yer in the way, and are blockin' our sun. Go away." He shooed Sealbite away with a wave of his paw.

"Yes, Mudblaze." Sealbite meowed in a dull voice, despite the fact that **a tree** was blocking the sun, not him. "I'll move Mudblaze, I was just keeping an eye on **them.**" He jerked his head in the kits direction. "They are intruders."

"Intruders! Where are they!" A she-cats voice cried from out of the elders den. "Are we under attack?"

Mudblaze let out a sigh. "No Ratatail! It's alright, no-ones attacking us, go back to sleep." He gave Sealbite another leer. "See what ya did now? Get lost, before you wake up Nightsong. The poor sods already half-way to StarClan, he don't need ya to help 'im on his way."

Sealbite huffed and moved away, settled back down nearby. Willowkit was almost laughing. It would appear that all elders were the same, no matter what clan they were in.

Mudblaze made a satisfied grunt with a little nod of his head and then he vanished back into the den.

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It was some time before the cat that led them here, known as Heronlegs, returned from out of what Willowkit assumed was the leaders den. She had the grumpy apprentice called Skinkpaw and another cat Willowkit hadn't seen before with her. The new cat was an impressive-looking black tom with streaks of grey through his pelt. He had light green eyes which swept over Breezekit, Rainkit and herself.

"This is them?" He spoke, sounding quite serious. Heronlegs nodded then left with Skinkpaw, and he continued. "Kits," He said, addressing them directly. "I am Shadystar, leader of FieldClan. You have broken the warrior code. You have trespassed on our territory and have hunted out prey." And with that, he turned away, leaping up onto a large pile of pine logs and calling out; "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Pine Pile for a clan meeting!"

Cats began to appear from out of dens and sat down around the kits, some, including Sealbite and Skinkpaw, hissing insults or growling at them. One cat, a sturdy brown tabby tom apprentice with one white paw, was merely watching them calmly with his soft green eyes. He gave the kits a gentle, reassuring blink. Willowkit could see him mouthing something that looked like "It'll be fine."

"Cats of FieldClan. I am sure that you are all aware of the three kits from GustClan sitting before us… Unless, of course, you are as blind as Nightsong here!" He let out a small purring laugh, flicking his ears playfully at a decrepit, very elderly black tom with a ginger stripe down his back and misted green eyes. Nightsong rasped out a sound that could have been a laugh…or he could be choking, Willowkit wasn't sure. _How can the leader talk like that! _Willowkit throught, surprised even further when some cats of the clan chuckle and the others just rolled their eyes, like Shadystar said that sort of thing all the time.

"Anyway, fun aside…" Shadystar's voice then took on a more serious tone. "These kits have intruded on our territory and stolen prey."

"Jeez!" Rainkit hissed, glaring at the leader. "We only caught one tiny bird, get over it!"

"Silence, you windblown kit!" Snarled a golden tabby tom nearby, his green eyes flashing. "One bird caught by you is one less bird for our clan!"

"Pineneedle, peace." Shadystar said calmly. "The kits are going to be dealt with as I and their leader Bushstar see fit." He addressed the entire clan now. "I have decided, with advice from Heronlegs, **not **to punish them myself-"Uproar burst forth from several cats in the clan; they hissed and yowled their disapproval. Breezekit pressed up against Willowkit, and she, knowing he needed reassurance, licked his ears. She was afraid herself, but wasn't going to let any cat see that. Rainkit merely snarled back, his eyes narrowed and fur fluffed up. All three kit's ears were flat.

"Quiet!" Shadystar snapped quickly, causing the din to die down. "We reached the decision on the grounds that the kits own leader should ultimately decide their punishment… However, the kits will return with an escort who will deliver my message and my recommendations for their punishment." He paused, allowing the cats of FieldClan to talk to each other for a moment.

"And what is your recommendation?" Called a mottled tabby/tortoiseshell queen with frosty blue eyes, her belly round with kits. "Ragingbreeze and I think that they should be made to care for their elders for the next two moons and they should never be allowed to set a paw on our territory again." The queen turned to the white tom with grey patches named Ragingbreeze, who sitting next to her. _That must be her mate I guess._ Willowkit noticed the loving look in the cat's eyes as they glanced at each other. _I really do not want to care for the elders for that long though!_

"No, the punishment I have decided on is worse. I have am recommending that Bushstar delays their apprenticeships."

"WHAT?" The three kits yowled, Willowkit and Breezekit in horror and Rainkit in fury. They leapt to their paws amid the cries of approval from FieldClan.

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Willowkit trudged up the familiar barren hills of GustClan territory, a heavy weight in her belly. She was flanked by Rainkit and Breezekit, both of whom walked with their paws dragging and their heads low. All three kits were contemplating haiving their apprenticeships delayed. It was an awful feeling. _I never wanted this to happen… _She glanced sideways at her brothers. _They probably blame me for this, heck, I blame me. It was my idea._

"Hey, it'll be alright." The same young tom that had been reassuring to them in camp said from behind her. The escort that Shadystar had sent with his message was made up of the medicine cat, Heronlegs and the medicine cat apprentice. This was less threatening and showed that they meant no harm the GustClan. The medicine cat apprentice was named Grasspaw, and his mentor was a grey she-cat named Cindereye.

"How do you figure…?" Muttered Willowkit glumly. She couldn't see anything "alright" with this situation.

"There's no guarantee that Bushstar will take Shadystars advice." Grasspaw replied kindly. "She may not even punish you at all."

"I doubt it very much, young Grasspaw." Heronlegs meowed from her place up the front with Cindereye. "A leader can not look weak on such matters as prey theft, especially Bushstar. She is young and has much to prove."

Grasspaw sighed then surveyed the several species of grasses and other plants he walked through. "Cindereye, isn't this marigold?" He changed the subject, batting a bright orange flower with a forepaw.

"Yes it is." Said Cindereye, coming up to have a look at the low-growing plant, she inspected it with knowing blue eyes.. "And what is it used for?" She quizzed her apprentice. "Do you kits know?" _Oh, she's trying to include us… how nice. _Willowkit had no idea of the answer, and by the looks on their faces, neither did Rainkit and Breezekit.

Grasspaw closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. "Stops infection." He recited. "The petals or leaves can be chewed into a pulp and applied as a poultice."

"Very good." Cindereye purred. "These GustClan kits are lucky. We don't get this very often in our territory. I could use some too…"

"Maybe we could trade with their medicine cat for something else?" Grasspaw suggested. "Do you know what herbs Swiftbreeze needs?" He asked Breezekit, who shook his head.

"Juniper berries. I overhead her saying she'd need to go to another clan soon to ask for some. She said it didn't grow here." Willowkit said dully, not really interested in all this medicine cat talk.

"Oh, aren't you knowledgeable, little one!" Cindereye said patronizingly. "Perhaps you can help Swiftbreeze while you wait to become apprentices?" She then moved back to the front and Grasspaw went with her.

Willowkit looked down again. _So that's it. I'm going to be a kit for another moon, stuck helping queens and Swiftbreeze…. Perfect._

"Hey…" Breezkit said suddenly raising his head and looking to the right, amber eyes wide. "Does anyone else smell that? **Or see that?**" Willowkit spun her head around to see a giant plume of black smoke, dark as death, rising ominously into the otherwise perfect sky. Its stink reached her nostrils, acrid and foul like gullfood. The other cats around her froze and stared at the smoke in a similar state of shock and fear. Fur was rising on all their pelts.

"Oh- oh no…." Willowkit's gaze followed the smoke downwards to its source. Flames were licking hungrily at the dry grass of GustClans hills, only a few slopes in the distance. The fire travelled as quickly as a hare, roaring over the landscape, leaving only a black dust behind it. The blaze burned a colour of orange that was horrifyingly familiar to Willowkit. It was the same colour half the sky had been in her dream that had been so real. And then she remembered the shining black and white cat's words; "**The burning gust shall signal the beginning of the end…**" _The burning gust. That dream cat predicted the fire! _Then a little voice in Willowkits head said "Ah, but who was the dream sent to? You. **You** predicted the fire. And you chose not to tell anyone…"

"Willowkit? Willowkit!" Heronlegs' voice shook her out of her frightened thoughts. "There are cats over there! Are they from GustClan?" The greyish-blue she-cat indicated to small cat-shapes not far in front of the fire, they appeared to be fleeing in terror. But appeared that one was struggling, two others helping it forward while another raced ahead, pausing to look back every few steps. "Are they?"

Willowkit narrowed her eyes, trying to closely examine the fleeing cats. The injured one appeared to be grey of some shade, and was smaller than the others. _If that isn't Takahepaw, I'll eat a rock._ Willowkit thought grimly, terrified for the apprentice she was good friends with. The cats supporting her were a ginger and a white, both toms judging by the muscular build of the pair. _Those two are probably Maplestreak and Frostrain… Which leaves you. _She then turned her attention to the last cat, which was black. _Nightwhisper, Huiapaw or Darkshine. But with this smoke it could even be Pondwhisker or Rockshatter .Either way, they __**are **__all GustClan cats._

"It is- I- I mean, they are from GustClan."Identifying her clanmates was not pleasant. It meant that these cats were in immediate and terrible danger. The fire was not far behind them, it was chasing the cats down like a hungry, blazing lion.

"Let's go!" She said to the others. She had made a snap decision. "We have to help them!"

"No, I forbid it. **We** are going to your camp to warn the cats there and help them evacuate." Heronlegs glared at Willowkit sternly. "You are not putting yourselves in danger like that; your clanmates can take care of themselves for now. Until I return you to your clan, you are all my responsibility. I have a really good record about cats not dying on my watch and I would like to keep it that way."

"We don't have to listen to you! You're not our deputy!" Rainkit said, putting in his five cents worth. Anything to be a part of an argument…

Breezekit looked over to the four GustClan cats. "Hey guys. I don't think we need to fight about this anymore."

"Yes, yes. We know you lazy and can't be bothered Breezekit." Rainkit drawled, not looking at him.

"No it's not that!" Breezekit said, for once not rising to Rainkit's baiting. "There are some other cats running out of the forest, but not from the FieldClan side! I don't recognise them."

"Ah, but I do!" Heronlegs sounded excited, if a bit surprised.

"Yeah, so do I." Cindereye peered down at the group of cats racing towards those fleeing the flames. "That's Swallowstar!"

"And Gekotail, Greypaw, Mudstorm, Pebblestream, Nightfrost and Swanpaw!" Grasspaw walked forward a few steps to get a better look. "It's MarshClan! MarshClan are here to help!"

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**Right, next POV is in MarshClan…..and… I have forgotten what else I was going to say…. HHMMM.**

**SEE YOU THEN.**


	8. Chapter 6

**OKAY! So this isn't exactly a chapter as such… It's more like a brief interlude, a way for me to buy time while I plan what is going to happen next. :D Sorry if it isn't that great, I had to rush a bit. (Not much computer time this week)**

**Also, I thought it may be wise (I really should have been doing this from the start) to mention that I don't have a beta reader, and as such there may be mistakes.**

**Enjoy!**

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A black and white she-cat sat before a waterfall, gazing into its depths. The landscape behind her was a cats paradise; thick woodland with a stream running through it, a wide open field of grass that was full of the sounds of small creatures and a rocky outcrop next to rolling hills, where cats sunned themselves, a look of bliss on their faces. Mist swirled around at the sides of this place.

The cats here had a glow to their pelts, it was as if the had the light of stars amongst their hairs. Some cats shone more brightly than others. A brown tabby tom with bright blue eyes was wandering about aimlessly; his fur barely had the tiniest glow emanating from it. Another cat came up to him, it was a she-cat with bluish-grey fur and green eyes that were alive with joy. Her fur shone far more brightly and she had starlight at her dainty paws. The tom stared at her, wide eyed, before letting out a high-pitched yowl of joy. The two cats licked each other furiously, purring as loud as thunder. The black and white cat found herself purring too as she turned her head to watch this moment. She had followed these cats for some time when they were alive. She knew they had parted ways as mates long ago. It was nice they had found each other again in StarClan. As she turned her head to watch the waterfall once more, she heard the cats discussing what their lives had been like since they had parted.

* * *

Not long after four more cats appeared, creeping out of various places. A sleek black tom with green eyes slunk out of the gloom at the mouth of the stream, then came a mottled brown she-cat with eyes as green as the forest she emerged from. A golden tabby tom with long fur and amber eyes came out of the tall grass, carrying a mouse in his jaws. His eyes flicked over to the last cat, a lanky grey tabby tom with blue eyes, and filled with distaste.

The black and white she-cat tore herself away from the waterfall to greet them. "Murkstar, Beechstar, Sunstar… Boulderstar." She said the last name slowly, a hint of venom on her tongue.

"Horsestar. We sensed it, so we have gathered again" The black cat; Murkstar, meowed smoothly.

"Yes… The fire has started in my old homeland. You see the colour of its flames in the water?" Horsestar returned her gaze to the falls, where a rippling orange shade could be seen at its centre.

"Hhmm… The picture is so blurred." Commented Sunstar, dropping his mouse at his paws. "Is it the smoke?" The golden cat examined his claws, turning his paw about to study them from all angles.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Muttered the she-cat called Beechstar. She was the oldest of all of these leaders when she had come to StarClan, and was very wise. "The eye of StarClan does not always see all, and it certainly does not see all clearly. Take the visions we all had… It took all of us to decide what it meant, and we still don't understand everything." She stared intensely at the waterfall, as if she was willing it to do something. Suddenly the image of flames changed to that of a cat with a tabby and white pelt, running through greenery with two other cat shapes at its side. The image was still fuzzy, but one could tell that much. "You see? Even this is murky…"

"That's your chosen cat, isn't it?" Murkstar asked, his eyes narrowed. "Why did you change it to this?"

"Because I have been thinking about our choices." Beechstar replied, addressing all the cats. "We made them without consulting each other. Perhaps it would be wise to review them together, with some other cats from our clans. Confirm them, if you will."

"I know why you're doing this! You're just doing it to try and get me to change my choice, aren't you?" Spat Boulderstar, speaking for the first time. He crouched down defensively, his teeth bared. "There is nothing wrong with that cat!"

"Yes there is, you spineless slime!" Hissed Sunstar, rounding on his long time-rival. Horsestar shook her head. The two leaders had hated each other since they were apprentices, and in the end had actually killed each other in a great battle between their clans. "She's insane!"

"Enough." Horsestar mewed, exasperated. "Let's just get this over with, after all… There are two cats coming to us this day…" Boulderstar continued to look mutinous and stalked a short distance away. Sunstar let out a deep breath, flicking his tail.

"Alright." He puffed out.

"Yes, on that sad note, we better hurry." Murkstar turned his head and yowled loudly over his shoulder. "Gingerhawk! Get over here, NOW!" He swaggered over to a large, dark ginger and white she-cat at the edge of the forest in the distance. The two then proceeded to argue, as they had always done when the two were the leader and deputy of MarshClan.

"I love the way he handles his cats." Boulderstar meowed for over beside a totara tree and various bushes.

"Yes, well… He certainly commands respect." Beechstar looked around, as if she was also searching for a cat. She seemed to find the right one, a light silver tabby tom, and beckoned him to come to her with a flick of the tail. "I am in need of you old friend. I need your advice once more." She meowed to him as he came forth and licked her shoulder.

"It is always a pleasure. I served as your medicine cat for many moons, Beechstar… My loyalty has not wavered." The tom purred. "What is this about, my I ask?"

"Soon, Shimmerlight, soon." The leader said briskly. "The others must gather first." She turned her head to see Murkstar and a sullen-looking Gingerhawk returning (Murkstar had won the argument) and Sunstar padding side-by-side with a tiny black she-cat that had the most stunning blue eyes.

"Sunstar, you brought** her**?" Murkstar leered at the small cat, which gave a small squeak of fright and proceeded to hide behind Sunstar's muscular legs.

"Soulpaw was the most talented medicine cat apprentice I have ever seen. If that accused dog hadn't killed her, she would have done great things. I stand by her and I trust her judgement." Sunstar rumbled, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the giant brute of a dog that had torn the life from the apprentice long ago. Soulpaw made another quiet noise of embarrassment and blinked gratefully at her leader.

Beechstar nodded in agreement, and then turned to Boulderstar. "So where is your advisor?"

The skinny tom smirked. "He's right here; I make sure he stays nearby while I am around that fool, just in case..." Boulderstar waved his tail over at Sunstar, who responded by hissing at him. "Fogfur? Come out now, please." Out from the bushes behind Boulderstar came a pure white tom-cat with long fur and surprisingly soft green eyes.

"Why am I not surprised?" Sunstar huffed. Fogfur had been Boulderstar's most loyal lackey. The only warrior (including his deptuty) who had stood by all his descions. Fogfur had died in the same battle that had killed his leader. He looked gentle, but he was in fact just as foul as Boulderstar.

"Greetings, leaders." Fogfur dipped his head, his voice smooth. "Where is Horsestar?"

"Here." The old GustClan leader mewed from the top of the waterfall. "I am just getting my adviser…" She shut her eyes tightly, like Beechstar had done when she had changed the image in the waterfall. The water trembled and warped, wiping away the picture of the tabby cat. Then a new one formed, far clearer than the others. It was like looking at a reflection.

"Oh! ... Very clever, Horsestar. I didn't think of **her**." The water now showed a sleeping white she-cat with silvery stripes. It was sleeping on an enormous flat stone, identical to the one in front of the waterfall's pool. Sunstar eyed her with intrigue. "She looks exactly like her father. I knew him quite well"

"And his mother before him… They all look the same," Horsestar leapt down from the rocks above and sat on the flat stone. "The Star Falls Guardians are an ancient line, as old as the Clans. They say they are in fact the same cat, reborn over and over again in a new body, but they keep all the past lives knowledge." The past Star Falls cats never came to StarClan upon their death, so most cats assumed this legend was true. She stared directly at the cat, as if she was willing it to wake up. "Moonfall… Awaken; StarClan is in need of you."

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Moonfall's eyes snapped open. They were an icy blue. In the waterfall before her she saw not her own reflection, but several cats sitting in a landscape that was very different to the one behind her. All the cats had starlight in their fur and their eyes glowed with an unnatural light.

"StarClan…" She whispered to the cats. "You called me?"

"_Yes._" Came the muffled reply. It was like the cats where calling from far away, not a couple of catlengths in front of her. "_We are in need of your insight on the living world, that which we can not see._"

"Very well." Moonfall replied. It was unusual for StarClan to call on her, unless it was a matter of grave importance. Usually it was her job to help living cats communicate with StarClan. Moonfall had her own dreams, unique to her family line, that were not sent from StarClan. These dreams showed her what was going on in the present, what happened in the past and what may happen in the future. She had seen this very incident some night ago. "I shall assist you." She stood, stretched her long body, and then stepped down into the pool at the base of the waterfall. She took at deep breath, wading through the water that came up to belly. She paused briefly at the base of the waterfall, knowing the long argument that would come. It would eventually end in a stalemate conclusion… Neither cat who wanted change would get it. It would be like the whole thing had never happened.

She took on last look over her shoulder at the billowing smoke rising above the hill that sheltered Star Falls. She could hear the terrified shrieks of cats and the wailing of twoleg sheep, behind them the dull roar of flames. "A terrible omen of destruction it is indeed…" She mumbled, before walking straight into the waterfall, vanishing from sight. The image of StarClan swirled and contorted as the tip of her tail was swallowed. Then it vanished altogether, leaving only the reflection of the black smoke and darkened sky in its shimmering depths.

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**So guys, did you like finding out about Moonfall and the past leaders of the clans? **

**Also, cats will die next chapter, as was foretold by Horsestar! Don't worry, it won't be anyone major….yet.**


	9. Chapter 7

**Well, would you look at this? Another chapter only a few days after I said I was going on hiatus?**

**As it turns out, all I really needed to do was give myself a good kick up the ass, and tell myself to get on with life…. After all, it's not like I have cancer or something horrible like that.**

**It is lots shorter than usual however, understandably.**

**Also, to the creator of Sparkpaw, I have been thinking about the storyline a lot lately, and I have decided it would be much easier for me if Sparkpaw was a tom. I would like to change it with your permission. If I don't hear from you either way before I get to using Sparkpaw in the story, I WILL DO IT ANYWAY. *insert evil laugh here* But seriously though, if you would prefer she stay a she-cat, then I will keep her that way.**

**On another note, I am hard at work on the drawings, I have done a few, but I have decided I don't like the style that much, so I am re-doing them. They will definitely be done by the next post however.**

**Enjoy!**

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As the flames rippled and spat nearby, Swanpaw seriously considered the possibility that Swallowstar had gone mad, and that she was just as insane for following him into this situation. Swanpaw liked adventure as much as the next cat; in fact she craved it…. But perhaps this was taking it too far.

She dodged around hotspots that were leading the main body of the fire. She ran as fast as she ever had, running to where the GustClan cats were struggling to stay ahead of the roaring blaze.

It had been Pebblestream's patrol that had spotted the smoke rising above the treeline, drifting lazily into the otherwise perfect sky. The light grey she-cat had rushed back to camp alone to report it. She had been more concerned on the danger to MarshClan, rather than the threat the fire posed to GustClan. Swanpaw had been watching as the discussion on what the clan should do commenced and quickly turned into an argument. Darksky and Pebblestream said that the should evacuate the clan and move closer to the lake, however when old Mousewhisker had snorted in laughter from over in front of the elders den all cats had turned to him.

"Fire ain't gonna even come close ta here, so I don't know why ya'll are worri'n so much." The light brown tabby tom had rasped in his ancient voice. His long whiskers had twitched in amusement. "I've seen more fires than you lot have seen sparras*, and none of 'em have gotten near us. The wind would have ta change direction for a start…" And so he had rambled on. Every cat knew he was exaggerating. Mousewhisker had only seen two fires in his lifetime, not hundreds. Even so, he **was** right.

So that had been that. Swallowstar had decided that there was no need to move the clan, and that he was going to take every willing cat out to help GustClan. When Pebblestream had asked him why MarshClan cats should risk their lives for the "mangy windblown cowards", Swallowstar had narrowed his amber eyes and glared right at the she-cat, who flinched slightly at under his gaze. "Because they will owe us." He had replied simply, his deep, commanding voice quiet.

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Now Swallowstar had led his patrol out onto the burning hills, it was a team of good cats. Strong Geckotail and Mudstorm ran alongside their leader. They would be useful if any cats had to be carried. Her mother Nightfrost and her brother Greypaw rushed past her, yowling what would normally be a battlecry, but had changed into a morale booster for the patrol. Pebblestream was also there; because Swallowstar was making sure she got the point about not acting defiant towards him. Swanpaw had wondered about those two… They often fought; after all, they were both dominant and somewhat aggressive personalities. _And yet…. The way they look at each other sometimes. Ah! They're doing it now! _The apprentice narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she saw Swallowstar take a long look over his shoulder at Pebblestream; who was galloping behind him. She stared back. There was something in those green eyes.

"MarshClan!" Swallowstar suddenly yowled over the noise of the fire. "We shall split up from here! I will lead Gekotail, Nightfrost and Greypaw to these cats up ahead; Pebblestream, Mudstorm and Swanpaw will go to the camp and make sure everyone is out! Mudstorm is in charge of the second group!" He turned to the dark brown tom as he approached. "Take care of them. Once you are sure all cats are with you, take them to the Gathering place. Mousewhisker is right; the fire won't come that way."

Mudstorm grunted, showing he understood. He turned his eyes skyward. "We better hurry, night will fall soon. I don't want to be doing this in the dark."

"Indeed. Let's go!" Swallowstar yowled at the top of his voice, before speeding away, his cats close at his heels.

"We better move too." Mudstorm rumbled, giving his shoulder a quick lick, as if to reassure himself. His hazel eyes, reflecting the fire, had worry swimming in their depths.

"Mudstorm? Do you even know where the camp is?" Swanpaw scanned the barren, burning hills. She couldn't see anywhere that would make a good campsite.

"Of course I do, I went with Swallowstar once, when we were apprentices." He pointed his tail to a single, lonely tree, some distance uphill and slightly to his left. "Its there. Now can we please leave?" He snapped, clearly stressed by the whole event.

"Yeah, ok…" Swanpaw said slowly, falling in behind her mentor as he raced off up the hill, his long coat flattening out from the wind. Pebblestream ran beside her, looking determined.

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They ran and ran. It was a hard slog. Running as fast as you can uphill with a raging fire on your tail was exhausting. By the time the MarshClan cats reached the camp, Swanpaw was exhausted. A few cats had already left the camp, one a ginger queen with dark grey spots, was wide-eyed with fear. She was shrieking for her kits. "My kits! Where are my beautiful kits!" She was desperately trying to re-enter the camp, clawing at the black tom who was trying to hold her back. "Let me go, Darkshine! I haven't seen them! They must still be in there!"

"Don't be foolish! You can't go back, what good will it do if you die as well?" Snarled Darkshine, pulling her back. "I can't lose you…" He added more softly, his amber eyes heavy with emotion.

At this, the queen stopped struggling. She just sat there, looking defeated. "My poor kits…" She murmured her eyes empty; it was like she had gone blind. She pushed her muzzle underneath Darkshines, and the two just sat there, oblivious to the world, lost in their grief. Swanpaw had never seen anything more pathetic, or more heart-breaking. She then gasped when she noticed that there was another cat, lying on its side. It's singed brown and white pelt still. It was dead.

The other GustClan cat that had escaped the camp came over to the patrol. "MarshClan… You have come to aid us?" It was another she-cat, this one a light grey with a long scar down the side of her face. "It is too late, I am afraid." She cast a said look at the two GustClan cats, which still hadn't moved, and the dead cat. "We have lost everything."

"Not yet, Bushstar." Mudstorm said grimly. "We are still fit. We will search the camp for survivors."

_Bush…__**Star**__? That's a leader?_ Swanpaw couldn't believe it. She had never seen a cat that looked less like a leader in her whole life. Bushstar's head was hung low, smoke stains dirtied her pelt and her eyes wore nothing more than simple loss. She had already given up.

"Do as you wish…." Her voice was dull. She went back to the others, licked the dead cats head and lay down, her head on her paws as she watched the destruction of her clan.

"I see the rumours of her being useless are true." Pebblestream said tartly, eyeing the GustClan leader with disgust. "What do we do now?"

"We go in as planned, find any cats that still have a pulse, and take them all to the Gathering place." Mudstorm replied, looking into the dark camp entrance.

"What about them?" Swanpaw jerked her head in the three GustClan cats direction.

"We'll deal with them when we come back." Mudstorm nodded to Pebblestream, who ran into the camp. "Let's go then." He said to Swanpaw, as he padded towards the entrance.

Just before they entered, Mudstorm pulled her aside. "Swanpaw." He meowed quickly, glancing at the camp every few moments. The cries of distressed cats was emanating from it, and the fire was drawing ever closer, it was now only a few cat lengths from the camp. The thick smoke was already searing through Swanpaw's lungs, making harder to breath. "I want you to promise me, as your mentor, that you will not do anything **reckless**."

"Me? Reckless…?" Swanpaw rasped in the smoke. "Please… When have I ever been reckless Mudstorm?"

Mudstorm gazed at her seriously, though the apprentice thought she heard him purr. However, when he spoke it was with a growl. "Just don't do anything stupid, little kit-brain."

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_***"Sparras" = Mousewhisker's way of saying sparrows.**_

**So who is the dead cat? Take your guesses and find out next time! Thanks for all your support by the way guys! :D**


	10. Chapter 8

**You know, I can't quite believe this, but here is **_**another**_** chapter! (What can I say, I was motivated)**

**Also, because the chapter decided to write itself much earlier than normal, I have no drawing for you just yet….**

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Swanpaw's POV**

Swanpaw gasped for breath as she swooped about the burning GustClan camp, the fire had finally caught up with them and the smoke was so thick she could barely see. The apprentice paused; all her senses were straining for signs of life…perhaps those missing kits were still here somewhere.

Mudstorm was not far away. She could see his large frame moving in the dying red light. It looked like he was dragging something towards the entrance. Normally by this time of the day it would be almost dark, but the fire had bathed the land in an eerie, flickering glow.

"You okay?" A voice said suddenly from beside Swanpaw, making her jump in surprise. She felt a pelt brush reassuringly up against her. "You're from MarshClan aren't you? I can just pick up your scent in this smoke…" A cat was standing beside her, its pelt was white. It was glowing even in this poor light and with all the smoke stains that dirtied it. Her paws must have been black, because Swanpaw couldn't see them.

"I'm fine." Swanpaw thought she would have sounded more convincing if her entire body hadn't racked with a cough at that moment. "W-who are you?"

"You don't sound fine." The voice was female. "I'm Sheepfur, a warrior of GustClan. Perhaps you should leave." Sheepfur sounded concerned.

"No. I'm here to help your clan. Besides, how come you sound alright?" Swanpaw said stubbornly.

"I just got here. I was hunting and I saw the flames…." Sheepfur looked away, distracted. "Hold on a sec, I think I just saw something move over there." The she-cat slipped away to Swanpaw's right.

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The black she-cat waited, unsure whether or not to stay and wait for Sheepfur to return, or keep searching the camp. Pebblestream ran past with a tortoiseshell she-cat and a black queen, all of them carrying one very young kit in their mouths. Pebblestream threw a nasty look over to Swanpaw that said; "Get moving or get lost." Swanpaw was just about to move forward when Sheepfur's voice rang out from the direction in which she had left.

"MarshClan apprentice! Whatever-your-name-is! Get over here, I need your help!" Unable to ignore a direct order from a warrior, even if it wasn't from her clan, Swanpaw rushed over to her. Sheepfur was crouching on the ground in front of a bush, her jaws latched on the scruff of a pale tabby elder. "Help me carry Wrenwing, she's unconscious, but alive." The warrior said, her voice muffled by the mouthful of Wrenwing's fur. Swanpaw lent down, opening her jaws to take hold of the elderly she-cat. Her scent wafted into her mouth, she smelt of smoke and fire. Wrenwing was barely breathing, her skinny frame just moving with her breath. _She may be alive now, but I don't think she will be for much longer… Judging by how skinny she is, this cat was probably weak before all this._

"I'll help carry her Sheepfur, I'm stronger." Mudstorm had appeared behind them, a small, terrified GustClan apprentice swaying on her paws beside him. "Huiapaw here and I where just on our way out anyway." He glanced at Huiapaw, eyes full of concern. "She might collapse any minute if we stay in here." His voice too was now cracked due to the smoke. His long pelt was filthy and singed. He turned to Swanpaw. "This is the elders den, there may be more inside. Check it for me, then come outside-" He broke off as Huiapaw slumped to the ground, her body shaking with coughs. "Hurry, I don't think any cat can stay in here much longer." With a grim look on his face, Mudstorm grabbed Huiapaw and hauled her over his back. Once he was sure she was safely in place, he took Wrenwing in his jaws and carried her quickly out of camp, Sheepfur aiding him. "Go quickly Swanpaw, and remember; don't do anything stupid!" Mudstorm called to his apprentice as he disappeared out the camp entrance.

Swanpaw felt her ears flatten subconsciously to her head. She was now alone in the burning GustClan camp, perhaps responsible for the life of an elder, waiting to be saved. _Talk about pressure._ Swanpaw let out a sort of nervous giggle, not sure where it came from.

She peered into the bush that was the elders den. Flames were actually starting to catch to the bush now. _If any cat is alive in there, they won't be for long…_ She took a deep, determined breath and, ignoring every fibre of her being screaming at her to run away, away from the fire, entered the den.

* * *

It was very hot inside; Swanpaw could see the fire coming through the branches. Wanting to get out as quickly as possible, she darted her eyes around the den. Her stomach gave an awful lurch. There was a cat in here. A ginger tom with golden highlights was hunched in his nest, His dark grey eyes fixed on Swanpaw.

"Oh, and who are you?" He wheezed. "Come to claw my clan while we are down, have you?" He added nastily. He gave a loud cough, his foul, smoke-tainted breath wafted into Swanpaw's nose.

"No, MarshClan- I- I am here to save you!" Swanpaw felt a jolt of impatience. The fire was about to engulf the den, and this cat was **accusing **her? "Come on, get UP!" She went to the elder's side and attempted to push him to his feet.

"Don't touch me, I don't want to die stinking like pond-scum." The ginger elder snarled with a croak to his voice. He turned his head away from Swanpaw. "Leave me be MarshClan whelp. I would rather die in my den, I think."

"You're not going to die!" Swanpaw shouted, her fear now fuelling her anger toward this cat. Her short-temper was getting the better of her.

"Yes, I am. I was born in this camp, and I will die in this camp!" He began to shout too.

Swanpaw's mind began to work in over-time. _"Just leave him. If he want's to die, let him." _Said a small voice in her head._ "Remember what Mudstorm said? He won't want you to risk your life for this stupid old fool." _The voice got bolder_. "Just leave him, don't be __**reckless**__." But I don't want to leave him… _Swanpaw thought, shaking her head as the den roof above her started to burn. _I don't want him to die… Even if he is a stubborn, narrow-minded old tom. _Small bits of smouldering twig and leaf fell from the den now. Whatever she decided to do, Swanpaw knew she had to do it soon.

"Go away, little one." The tom hissed quietly from beside her. "Save your own skin already. Stop trying to be **noble**…" _I think it's you who are trying to be noble._

"No!" Swanpaw yelled as a bit of the den collapsed behind her, the flames licking inside. The heat and smoke were unbearable. She hacked out a few coughs before roughly seizing the elder by the scruff and dragging him from his nest, ignoring his shrieks of protest. "I am saving you whether you like it or not! Now **move** you old bag of bones!" Swanpaw shoved him out of the den, just in time too. The flames swallowed the bush and set to work reducing it to cinders.

"Well, now what, little hero?" The elder rasped, looking around. "It would appear that the exit is blocked. So well done, now we are both going to die, slowly… Terrified and trapped."

For the second time, Swanpaw's stomach lurched unpleasantly. He was right. Flames surrounded them, they blocked the entrance. The roar was deafening, but Swanpaw could just hear the yowls of cats over top of it. _Is that Mudstorm….? Is he calling for me? Or are the flames out there too, killing them all? _She rushed to the entrance, trying to pull the burning plants and grass out of the way so she could escape. All this succeeded in was her paws being badly burnt. Desperate, she hobbled around the camp, looking for a clear spot. There was one, but it was up a steep bank of stone. With her paws like this, she couldn't make it up there, not to mention the elder. _Ah…So that's what Mudstorm meant about being stupid and reckless. I shouldn't have done that… I should of thought._

It was hopeless. Utterly hopeless. Swanpaw was going to be burnt to death, die next to a cat who clearly hated her.

"StarClan, I guess I'm on my way." The black apprentice felt more tired than she ever had in her entire life, more defeated too. Now she knew how Bushstar felt. She sunk to the ground, waiting. The elder had fallen silent; he appeared to of passed out. His rough breath hissed in her ear as she lay there. _So this is despair…. _Her chest burned still, but the pain was fading as she slipped out of consciousness, the colour of the flames, land, sky and smoke swirled like a whirlpool, contorting, merging. _Well, if this is death…. I guess it's not too bad._ That was Swanpaw's last thought as her mind fell to blurred darkness.

* * *

**Willowkit's POV**

Willowkit watched the flames as they ate away at her beloved camp. Her home was burning to the ground. Breezekit pressed up against her, seeking comfort. His frightened amber eyes appeared red in the burning light. Even Rainkit had his tail wrapped around his siblings, he had forgotten his rivalry.

The kits, along with the cats from FieldClan, were now sitting one hill away from the camp. Heronlegs had decided that this was the safest distance. "I'm sorry kits, but it's too late. The camp isn't safe to enter anymore."

"What if they're all dead?" Breezekit whispered. "What if the clan is gone…?"

"Then you can come live with us." Grasspaw meowed roughly. "Can't they Heronlegs?" He glared up at his deputy, as if daring her to say no.

Heronlegs looked at him sadly for a moment. "We will see." She said quietly. "First, I think it would be wise to search for survivors. They may be scattered nearby." She then looked off into the distance. "And remember, that MarshClan patrol is down there. If they find anyone, they will help."

Cindereye had been silent for a long time, apart from the occasions when she had spotted certain plants and gathered them up, saying things like; "Oh, this is good for burns…" and "Soothing for the throat." The herbs she and Grasspaw had been carrying lay at her paws. Her blue eyes were fixed at something in the direction of the GustClan camp. "Are…Are those cats Heronlegs?" She exclaimed, flicking her tail towards a large moving shape that was steadily approaching them.

"They are!" Heronlegs cried, rushing forward, the others on her heels. Hope soared in Willowkit's heart. It flew even higher when she saw it was cats of her clan. Bushstar was padding slowly alongside a long-haired, dark brown tom Willowkit didn't recognise. They were engaged in weary conversation, and both had loss in their eyes. Sheepfur was holding one of Pukekoflower's kits in her jaws, as was the queen and another unfamiliar cat, this one a light grey she-cat with light brown patches. Mosspaw and Swiftbreeze were propping up a very shaky and ill-looking Huiapaw between them, asking her how she was feeling. Swiftbreeze was holding a piece of bark with honey on it between her jaws. Chasingwind limped forward next to Pinefoot, both were carrying a limp heap of burnt brown and white fur. Willowkit made a soft noise of grief when she realised it was Runninghorse, and that she was quite dead. Her amber eyes, still wide with fear, were glazed and blank. Finally, bringing up the rear was Pondwhisker and Ferretblaze, who had the elder Wrenwing slung between them, and her own parents; Darkshine and Wildstorm. Both had their heads hanging low, they walked close together, tails intertwined. All the cats were tired-looking and smoke-stained. Most were coughing at regular intervals, and some looked burnt.

As they approached, a thought occurred to Willowkit. Her parents had not seen her since this morning… They probably believed that she and her brothers were dead. "Mother! Father! Look here, look here! We're alive, all of us!" She yowled joyfully to them.

They both stopped dead in their tracks, as did the rest of the cats. Heronlegs meowed a welcome and approached Bushstar and the dark brown tom, dipping her head respectfully. The three then became engrossed in urgent conversation. Wildstorm looked up at the sound of her kits mewls of happiness as they ran to her. When she spotted them she gave a strangled cry and rushed forward. Wildstorm began to lick all their head furiously. Darkshine sat just behind her, relief clear to see on his face. "Oh-oh you're alive… I thought…" Willowkit's mother murmured as she licked the top of her head. Then, suddenly, she paused mid-lick. "Wait… Where have you three been all day if you were not in camp?" She growled, her eyes narrowing as she looked Willowkit right in the face.

"Ummm..?" Willowkit couldn't really put up much of a defence; she felt her ears growing hot. _She's going to find out from Heronlegs anyway._ "H-hunting?"

"Hunting?" Wildstorm snarled, her fur fluffing up. "Are you all quite mad?" She flung a furious glance at Breezekit and Rainkit. Breezekit lowered his head, looking quite abashed, but Rainkit held her gaze defiantly. "Darkshine!" She spun round to her mate, who started.

"What is it, love?" He said sheepishly.

"Tell these three off or something, punish them! I can't think straight…"

"There is no need for that right now." The dark brown tom had appeared. He spoke in a hollow voice. "Right now is a time to get to safety, recover…and morn those who have passed on to StarClan." He turned his amber eyes to the limp form of Runninghorse, then to the camp.

"Why are you looking over there?" Willowkit asked quietly. "Did some cats not make it out?"

"My apprentice." The tom choked out. "And one of your elders…. They got trapped."

"Are you sure they are dead? That it is blocked the whole way around?" Willowkit was thinking. She knew her camp well; there was a side that flames were likely not to have travelled, as there were no plants there, only stone. "Did you check?"

"No, but-"

Willowkit looked at her brothers and they looked back, understanding flashing through their eyes. _They may still be alive!_ She was not sure what made her do it, but next thing she knew she was running towards camp, her brothers by her side. She ignored the screeches for her to return, that she was just a kit and to not be a hero, she ignored the fear that surged through her like lightning as she drew closer to the blaze.

* * *

**Yes, the dead cat was Runninghorse. For a while, I was seriously considering making it Ferretblaze… but I just couldn't do that to poor Pukekoflower and her kits. :D**

**The second cat to die will be….? Guesses, anyone?**


	11. Chapter 9

**Here we are, another chapter! This one took me awhile to get right, so I hope you enjoy it! :D**

**Also, I have completed the drawings for the "Chosen" cats from each clan, and all I have to do now is scan them and put them on Deviantart, which I will do in the next few days. I will put links up on my profile page when I have done this. I hope you all like them, since I re-did each one about six times!**

**Anyway, onto the story!**

* * *

…_Ah… Well, this is a weird feeling._ Swanpaw thought. Her body felt warm, but not unpleasantly so. It was also dark, but there was light around the edges. _It's like I'm floating…right through the air. _Like a feather, the black apprentice drifted about. It was bliss. Pure bliss. The warm feeling was not just in her body, but within her heart. _Happiness._ She thought. _That's what it is. But-_ She felt her face contort into a frown. The warm feeling ebbed a bit, faded like mist in the morning. _Why do I get the feeling I should be… afraid? Angry? I don't know… I can't remember. _Suddenly an image flashed through her mind, the gentle darkness vanishing briefly. She saw herself, lying unconscious in the middle of a burning camp that was not her own, a ginger cat was also sprawled beside her. Smoke billowed all around; yowls of cats could be heard.

"Oh, so that's why." She heard herself say, but it echoed, sounded like it did not come from her own mouth. "So does that make me dead…?" She asked the dark at large, knowing full well that no-cat would answer.

"Oh, no Swanpaw… You are** dying. **Perfectly clear difference really." Well at least she thought no-cat would answer. "Now, let me take you somewhere more…suitable."

The darkness dissolved, leaving behind an unfamiliar river that was towards an ocean, forest and grassland turned to beaches and waves. Swanpaw fell straight into the water of the river, it was shallow, but ice cold. She gasped as not only she felt the cold surge through her, but all her recent emotions and memories. They swept away the lingering warm happiness like it was nothing.

"Sorry about that." Said the voice again. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay there for now." Swanpaw looked around for its owner. She spotted a slightly-shimmering, dark grey and white tom-kit with murky green eyes sitting beside the end of the river a short distance away. The river ended not in a pool, or in the sea, but just stopped dead for no apparent reason. Normally this would have made Swanpaw curious, but she was far more interested in the kit. It was eerily familiar, but it voice was what was most disconcerting, despite being a kit of about 3 or 4 moons, it had the voice of a much older cat, about apprentice-aged. _Why is this cat so familiar?_

"You haven't forgotten me already have you," The kit asked quietly. "-sister?"

_Sister? Wait that means… _"Hazekit?" Swanpaw attempted to step forward, but found she was unable to move. "Hazekit, is that you?"

The kit purred. "Well done sister, I was hoping you'd remember me. After all, it's only been like, what? Six moons?" He shook his head. "Never mind, it's not important. I wasn't hoping to see you here though. When Moonfall contacted me, I thought it must be mother or father… But then surely there were others who were more suited to… What?"

"What are you talking about?" Swanpaw was confused. And shivering, she could feel the water soaking her belly, chilling her to the bone. "I don't understand."

"Well you wouldn't would you? You've never died." Hazekit said wryly. "You see, when a cat dies, or, as the case may be, is dying, a cat that meant a lot to them in life that has already passed to StarClan, comes to greet them. It could be a sibling or a parent, a mentor, even a previous mate." He battered a shell with his paw. "I obviously, am the only one in StarClan who you were close to. So here I am."

Swanpaw stared at him for a moment, quite amazed. "You know Hazekit, you're very wise now…you used to be such a dork."

Hazekit laughed. "Yes well, I have been sharing knowledge with some of the wisest and oldest cats in StarClan, so I've picked up a bit. They keep telling me I would have made an excellent medicine cat had I lived. Remember, I have the mind of a much older cat now too." His whiskers twitched. "You'd be so jealous if you knew who I was talking to this morning."

"Who?"

"Marshstar and Kowhaistar." Replied Hazekit smugly.

"The first and second leaders of MarshClan?" Swanpaw remembered hearing tales about the legendary leaders from the elders as a kit. "What are they like?"

"Stubborn springs to mind. As does proud." Hazekit suddenly looked more solemn; he got to his paws, blinking slowly at his kin. "As nice as all this is, I do have a job to do Swanpaw. It would make it easier if you took yourself dying more seriously."

"Oh." Was the only reply Swanpaw could think of. "So, I'm dying then?" She looked around. _I can sort of tell that though, I am in StarClan… I think. Is that why I'm so calm?_ She thought it was strange that she wasn't the least bit panicked about her possible death.

"You're wondering if you're in StarClan aren't you?" _Okay, how did he know that?_

"Um, yes." Swanpaw shuffled her feet anxiously. Her little brother being so, for lack of a better word, weird, was a bit unsettling.

"Well yes you are, and no your not." Hazekit looked out to sea. "I suppose you could call this place The In-between. That's what we call it anyway." His murky eyes flicked back to her. "Tell me Swanpaw, do you want to live?"

_What kind of question is that? Of course I do! _The black she-cat went to open her mouth, but Hazekit raised a paw to silence her. "Think carefully before you answer Swanpaw. It is my job to be impartial in your decision, but I have to tell you the facts first."

He started to pace back and forth in front of her, his eyes never leaving her face. "On the one paw, you pass on to StarClan. You die." His gazed back at the ocean briefly, before returning to Swanpaw. "StarClan is paradise, Swanpaw. That is fact, not just my personal opinion. You will never grow old, or get sick, and there are never-ending twoleg and predator-free forests, fields and hills. Prey is everywhere and it can be both challenging and easy to hunt depending on how you feel that day, and you can still watch over cats you have left behind in the land of the living. Not to mention gaining immeasurable wisdom. But, there are no clans here. No unity. " He sniffed briefly, watching Swanpaw as she shivered slightly in the cold river, which appeared to be moving ever closer to the sea.

"Then on the other paw, you chose to live." He cast a glance at the river then the forest. "You return to your body, where you will have to face an uphill battle. Make no mistake sister; the recovery will not be pleasant…. You may still die, or return to In-between… and next time you may not return. Very few cats that come a second time do."

A question nagged in the back of Swanpaw's mind. "Did you come here, when you were sick Hazekit?" She asked quietly.

He stared at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Twice. The second time I did not return, I chose not to. I believed I had suffered enough." Hazekit's voice wavered briefly. "Many do not get the choice at all, you know. They just soar right past In-between, go straight to StarClan. We are both lucky we did get a choice."

"Anyway," He said after a slight pause, his voice becoming brisk. "As I was saying, returning to life will not be fun to start with, but, if you return to health once more, then you have plenty to look forward to. You will eventually become a warrior, you will know the joys of living in and being a part of a clan, you may even have an apprentice. You may find love, a mate… perhaps one day you may even have kits, something that you certainly can not do in StarClan. There is also that ever-elusive possibility of becoming deputy or leader even." He sighed, signalling that he was finished.

Swanpaw stood in silence for a while, taking it all in. _What should I do…?_ In an attempt to stall for time while she decided, Swanpaw asked about the strange river. When she did, Hazekit laughed softly.

"Ever heard a cat say 'all rivers lead to the ocean eventually', Swanpaw?"

* * *

Noise was all Swanpaw heard at first. Not just ordinary noise either. Voices.

"It's a miracle, thank StarClan-"

"Can't believe they survived."

"Those kits were so brave!"

"But stupid-"

_What's going on? Those voices…. None of them sound familiar._ Swanpaw was unsure whether it was safe to open her eyes. Her throat and chest hurt a lot, as did her paws, but she felt like she was in a soft nest. It was warm and comfortable. _Dare I open my eyes?_

"So, do you think they'll all live?"

"Oh, I'm optimistic. Hopefully they'll start coming round soon,"

Swanpaw plucked up the courage and opened one eye just a crack. Subdued light flowed in; it was still dark enough for her not to be blinded. She could see the shapes of four cats standing just in front of her. Two were larger than the others.

"Have we got enough honey and rata nectar?"

"Yep, I found an empty hive nearby… The smoke must have frightened them off, and there's a rata tree just over there, its in flower."

"Good, because we're going to need it."

More confident now, Swanpaw opened the other eye. Things began to come into focus. She was in a nest, and there were other nearby, all occupied by cats. She was also in a den made of ferns with a large tree stump at the back; it had been quite clumsily made, as if the cats who built it were in a great hurry. She slowly turned her neck to get a better look at the other cats, wincing in pain as her chest burned. She could see that grumpy elder in the nest next to her; his ginger pelt was rising and falling softly as he slept. She could also see about three or four others, but none were recognisable in the gloom of the night outside.

She peered at the four cats at the den entrance, which were still deep in discussion. She recognised them all as medicine cats and medicine cat apprentices. She had seen them at the last gathering.

"Oh!" One of the apprentices exclaimed, turning around to see Swanpaw looking at them. "Oh, Swanpaw is awake!" At once the four cats swept down upon her, asking her how she felt.

"Fine," Swanpaw rasped, her throat searing as she spoke. "I'm okay, my throat and chest hurt a little though…"

"Ah, that will be the smoke." Said the tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Swanpaw believed she was GustClan's medicine cat and was named Swiftbreeze. "We have honey and rata nectar for that if you'd like."

"Yes please." Swanpaw knew that the honey and nectar would sooth her throat. She glanced around, looking for her clan's medicine cat; Dawnfeather. "Where-"

"No, no. No questions now." Swiftbreeze said soothingly. "We treat you, and then you get some more sleep. You'll find out everything later." She hurried away to fetch the soothing for her throat, leaving the other three cats to examine her.

"Does anything else hurt?" Asked a grey she-cat with blue eyes gently. Swanpaw did not know her name, but knew she was the medicine cat of FieldClan.

"My paws…"

"Yes, I'm not surprised; they have been quite badly burnt." She examined Swanpaw's feet with an expert eye. Swanpaw looked at her own paws for the first time, noticing that they were wrapped in cobweb with a poultice beneath it. "We've had a lot of burns." The grey cat turned to a cream she-cat with white on her face, leg and belly. "Mosspaw, fetch me some more inner rimu bark, aloe vera leaves, and some marigold to stop infection. I'll get you to make that into a pulp for me." The cream cat nodded and vanished out the den entrance.

"Are you still short of breath?" The other apprentice, a brown tabby tom with one white paw, asked Swanpaw, looking into her eyes.

"No, I think I'm okay now."

"Good." He purred. "We're running low on coltsfoot anyway. I would rather save it for the elders."

"So," Swanpaw asked in a quick undertone, as the grey she-cat turned her back to watch Mosspaw make the poultice. "Where am I and what is going on?"

The tom glanced over his shoulder at his mentor then whispered to Swanpaw. "You're in the Gathering hollow."

"What?" Swanpaw exclaimed as quietly as possible. "Why?"

"Because it's not safe in GustClan territory at the moment, the clan is staying here for now. Not long after we got here, twolegs appeared on the hills, trying to put out the fire and save their sheep. The place is still swarming with them. Not to mention the lack of prey and cover."

"So why am I here?" _Why am I not dead? I remember talking to Hazekit in The In-between…I chose to live, my river turned around and started flowing back towards the forest. And then I wake up here._ "How did I get here?"

"Well, your never going to believe this, but three GustClan kits saved you **and **the elder Windstep. They pulled you from the camp, and then some other warriors came and carried you here. Too far to travel to the MarshClan camp, you see. It was very brave of them." The tom shook his head. "They're so lucky to of gotten you out and survived with only minor smoke inhalation and a few small burns! When I think about what could have happened… We might have had seven dead cats instead of two."

"Who else-?" Swanpaw broke off when both Swiftbreeze and the grey cat appeared behind the brown tabby apprentice.

"Enough of that talk!" Swiftbreeze snapped, setting down her piece of bark with a honey/rata nectar mix on it. "You can find out more once you've slept, you need rest." She grabbed another couple of herbs in her jaws from nearby. "Chamomile for strength and soothing, and thyme for a good nights rest." She stated, adding the plants to the mixture after chewing them. "Now eat it please."

Swanpaw sighed, she would much rather stay awake and find out what was going on. But she was tired and would rather not annoy the medicine cats, who could easily put nettle into the mixture. She lapped up the liquid obediently. It tasted nice and lessened the pain in her throat and chest. Almost immediately she felt the effects of the sleep aids. Her vision blurred and she lay her head back down on her nest. The last thing she heard before falling into a comfortable, deep sleep was the tom apprentice getting told off for telling her "more than she needs to know right now."

* * *

**Did you like? I never can tell whether chapters are any good or not...**

**There is a bit of a surprise next chapter, it will be in Willowkits POV, then the chapter after that will be Rowanpaws POV. This will be a time skip of about a week or so. Then after that, I am putting up an updated allegiances.**

**So yeah, I actually have the next few chapters planned out for a change! **


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10! A real milestone has been reached. To celebrate this, I have the five "chosen cats" all scanned and they are being uploaded as we speak, look at my profile page for links. From now on, you may all ask for specific cats for me to draw and I will do them. I'm only going to take on about two per person for now. Also please look at other reviews so I don't end up with double-ups!**

**To Shimmertail, I read your reply regarding Sparkpaw's gender and I have taken your feelings into account. I have spent the last few weeks wracking my brain over the plot trying to see how easy it will be to keep her female. I have found that I am going to have to make Sparkpaw male. I am really sorry, I really am, but I just see no other way. (Besides that, by giving me your characters in a create-a-cat you are giving them up for me to do whatever I like to them... At least I asked first unlike some I'm sure.) Don't worry though, I am going to make him extremely awesome... XD**

**Also, xxShadowheartxx, Shimmertail and Starwhisker: You guys are so epic you have no idea. Shimmertail and xxShadowheartxx, you have reviewed every chapter I have ever written. (I think?) So as a reward for your awesomeness, you are alowed to come up with ONE MORE CHARACTER. Any clan (or kittypet, rouge etc), any position (except leader and deputy obviously). MAKE THEM AS EPIC AS YOU ARE. They will be shoved into the updated allegiances which are turning up after the next chapter.**

**Starwhisker: You story is really good. NO I MEAN REALLY, REALLY GOOD. I love it and when I see a new chapter is up, reading it is the first thing I do. I can't wait to see more! Also, you have reviewed almost as often as those two up there. So same deal goes for you. Make up a new cat and stick it in somewhere. Make it as descriptive as Rowanpaw! :D**

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A gentle breeze toyed with Willowkit's light brown fur as she sat beneath a large kowhai tree, eating a small mouse at her leisure. It had been two days since the fire and GustClan were still living in the Gathering place. It did not look like they were going anywhere soon.

Rainkit approached, looking sulky (which wasn't out of the ordinary) and flopped down beside her. "Hey," He muttered his ears flat and his eyes looking murderous.

"What's wrong with you? Mother still won't let us explore?" Willowkit was also feeling disgruntled over Wildstorm's decree that her kits were not allowed out of her sight. Even now, her mothers grey eyes were boring in the back of her head from the temporary nursery in a group of young gum trees nearby.

"Nope." Rainkit grunted. "Have you seen the slug? I can't find him anywhere… I bet he's still standing by the medicine cats den, drooling over that pretty MarshClan cat. I guess he likes them with a few scars and a foul clan-scent." The dark grey tom smirked.

"I haven't seen him either, and will you **please** stop calling him that? And he hasn't been drooling over that black cat; he only looked at her the other day! Is that not allowed now? Besides, that she-cat went back to MarshClan last night; I saw her leave with her mentor." Willowkit was more annoyed than ever with her brother's rivalry, now she knew she would have to put up with it longer than she thought. Heronlegs had relayed Shadystar's message as her patrol left after she was sure GustClan was safe. Bushstar, still shaken by the disaster, decided to reserve her judgement until today. _I just know she'll follow Shadystar's recommendation and keep us in the nursery… Even after we saved those cats! I just know it!_ Willowkit still felt a thrill when she thought of the daring rescue her and her brothers had staged. She licked a bald patch on her side subconsciously. The lingering scent of smoke and the poultice that Swiftbreeze had put on the burnt patch made her swipe her tongue over her jaws. All three kits had sustained minor burns, but after a cleaning and some herbal remedies all they were left with was some small bald patches and a few singed hairs.

'Yeah, whatever." Rainkit seemed to disregard everything his sister had just said. "I wonder if Bushstar has made her decision on our apprenticeship yet. She said she'd decide today."

"I wouldn't guarantee it." A voice said darkly. Breezekit slinked up to them, looking put out. "I've just **tried** to go see her. Darkshine sent me away; he's sitting outside her den and isn't letting any-cat in."

"Why's father doing that?" Willowkit asked, curious.

"He said that Bushstar is still grieving. He said she isn't up for doing much…." Breezekit's voice tailed off, unsure of whether or not it was wise to continue discussing their leader's weak state of mind. Ever since the fire Bushstar had been more unsure and unable to stand up for herself than ever. She'd just sat there, with her head down, as her sister Pondwhisker and the warrior Frostrain verbally abused her yesterday for being weak and useless... After than she had holed up in her small den and not come out again. Darkshine had been taking on the leadership duties since the fire, with Pondwhisker (who was very keen to help) assisting him. Willowkit knew that the young leader was just not up the job, and had often wondered why the previous leader had ever given her the deputy position in the first place.

"Still grieving is she?" Pondwhisker and Sheepfur had appeared. Pondwhisker had obviously been listening to the kits discussion with interest. She threw a disdainful look in the direction of Bushstar's den. "Every-cat is still grieving, but we all get on with life regardless!" The dark grey she-cat spat.

"Be reasonable, Pondwhisker." Sheepfur meowed calmly. "After all Rockshatter was her brother."

"He was my brother too! I miss him as much as any cat, but I don't sulk the day away in my den!"

Willowkit felt the familiar pang of sadness at the mention of the death of the dark grey warrior. He had died like a true hero though. According to those who were there, the massive tom had rushed in as the fire threatened to overtake the injured Takahepaw, who was stuck in a ditch. Frostrain and Maplestreak were trying to get him out, but couldn't reach him without jumping in the ditch themselves, a sure death sentence when the fire was literally on top of them. Rockshatter had disregarded this and had jumped in anyway, seized the apprentice and tossed him out of the ditch into the jaws of the aiding MarshClan cats and his fellow warriors. He told his clanmates to take care of the clan, to tell Bushstar he was sorry and that he wanted his friend Frostrain to be Huiapaw's new mentor… The fire had engulfed him a mere moment after that.

The horrified Bushstar had sent out a patrol as soon as the fire had vanished to search for him in the vain hope he was still alive. The patrol had found his charred remains and buried him on the hills he had so loved. Huiapaw, his nervy apprentice, had been devastated by her mentor's death and hadn't spoken since the patrol had returned with the grave news. She, Bushstar, Pondwhisker and some other cats Rockshatter was close to went to his grave site that night to sit vigil for him. Even some of the cats who had remained behind hadn't slept that night. They merely sat in the middle of camp, staring at the stars. That was the second night in the row the clan had mourned their dead clanmates. The night before that they had all sat beside Runninghorse's blackened body. She was buried by her fellow elders just on the GustClan side of the border.

_Oh StarClan…_ Willowkit thought._ How can my clan survive this tragedy unchanged? Why did you tell me this was going to happen…? Why not Bushstar or Swiftbreeze…any cat that could of actually done something about it!_

_

* * *

_

It was quite a surprise when Bushstar had appeared from her den, a determined look in her eye, that afternoon. She dismissed Darkshine with a flick of her tail when he had rushed up to her, looking concerned. It was so un-Bushstar-like he had stopped dead and stared in shock. She leapt up onto the enormous oak tree where the clan leaders sat during Gatherings. After settling onto the lowest, thickest branch, she yowled the familiar call. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Great Oak for a clan meeting!" Her voice strained from lack of use over the last few days, but was still loud and clear.

Willowkit, who was lying in the entranceway to the nursery watching her brothers' scuffle in a playfight, sighed in disappointment, knowing this meeting would mean nothing good for her. She ignored the call the gather, as did her brothers, who continued playing after a brief pause. After all, they were not apprentices, they had no right to go to a meeting anyway.

"You too kits!" Called Bushstar briskly, watching them ignore her summons. Willowkit, immensely surprised, but suspicious, leapt to her paws and dashed over to her mother, her brothers on her heels. She could see her own feelings reflected in their amber eyes. As she sat down beside Wildstorm, she threw her a questioning look.

The ginger she-cat gazed at her kits with a knowing look in her eyes. "You'll see." She said simply, which just made Willowkit even more suspicious. She thought she heard Maplestreak, who was sitting nearby, purr in amusement. Darkshine, who had now composed himself, was also eyeing the kits from his place beneath the Great Oak.

Bushstar cleared her throat and began speaking. Willowkit had never seen her look more confident. She sat proudly, her head held high and her eyes bright. _Did she have a revelation sitting in her den all alone?_ Willowkit wondered. _Are we finally going to have a leader with a bit of confidence in her own abilities? Heh, Pondwhisker won't like that!_ And sure enough, the dark grey she-cat was the only one not looking happy about her sister's sudden change of personality.

"Cats of GustClan. You all know the great tragedy that has befallen us, we have lost our home. Our clanmates…" Her voice wavered, but she shook her head and continued, her voice strong once more. "We were low on warriors and apprentices before the fire, and now we are yet another loyal and brave warrior short, we have also lost a treasured elder, who spent her whole life contributing to her clan. We mourn the loss of Rockshatter and Runninghorse." She paused and bowed her head in a moment of silence out of respect for the dead cats. The rest of the clan followed. "But now we must continue with life, StarClan has told me this in my dreams! We must regain our strength and become stronger than before, just as our hills will when they come back from the destruction of the fire!" Several cats yowled their approval at her words. Her blue gaze swept over her clan.

"I have called you all here for two reasons, the first is to fulfil Rockshatter's dying wish." She beckoned Huiapaw and Frostrain forward. Bushstar surveyed them for a second. Willowkit did the same. Frostrain looked resolute, Huiapaw sad and somewhat uncaring.

"Frostrain. Rockshatter named you as the cat he wanted to continue Huiapaw's training… Do you accept this task?" Bushstar's eyes were locked with Frostrain's. The white warrior nodded.

"I do, Bushstar." He said smoothly, clearly pleased with his leaders newfound strength.

As Bushstar asked Huiapaw whether or not she accepted her new mentor, Willowkit heard Takahepaw (whose front leg was still wrapped up in flax and cobwebs) ask Chasingwind about the ceremony. "Chasingwind, I've never heard this ceremony before, have you?"

The elder blinked. "No, I'm pretty sure Bushstar is making it up as she goes along. It is an unusual circumstance for an apprentice's previous mentor to say who they want to succeed them. There probably is no ceremony for this exact scenario."

Huiapaw had tentatively accepted Frostrain as her new mentor. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to give this apprentice a new mentor." Bushstar was now speaking an official ceremony's words. "Huiapaw, you have lost your first mentor, so your new mentor will be Frostrain." The two touched noses and then sat down again side by side. A few cats congratulated Frostrain on having an apprentice, but most were still staring at Bushstar. The meeting was not yet over.

"Cats of GustClan. Now we come to the second reason for this meeting. As I have already stated, GustClan is the smallest it has ever been, we need more warriors… Which is why today, I am making three new apprentices." She looked warmly over to the three kits, and flicked her tail to call them forward. Nightwhisper, Sheepfur and Ferretblaze also padded up to the base of the tree. Willowkit and her brothers just sat there, dumbstruck. _Wha…? We...we're becoming apprentices….?_

"Hurry up kits, if you please." Willowkit walked forward, it was like a dream. A wonderful, beautiful dream. She felt her brothers' pelts up beside her; she didn't have to look at them to tell they were just as shocked and excited as she was. _We __**are**__ becoming apprentices!_ She sat down, here brothers by her side, up beneath the Great Oak. She could see her parents looking proudly at their offspring, the rest of the clan also looked pleased. They didn't seem to care that they had broken the rules.

Bushstar cleared her throat again. "As you all know, these kits trespassed in FieldClan territory and hunted their prey… But they did this to help feed the clan; it was noble, but foolish." The light grey she-cat swept her tail around her paws. "And then these same kits, despite many cats trying to stop them, returned to out burning camp and saved Windstep and Swanpaw of MarshClan. Again, brave and above the call of duty, but stupid."

"Shadystar told me I should delay their apprenticeships, and I was going to do just that…. However, the clan needs these kits to be active members. They have shown more courage in one day than I should show…" She trailed off, acknowledging that she had acted in a weak manner unbefitting of a clan leader. "And who is Shadystar to tell me how to run my clan?" A few cats meowed loudly, agreeing with Bushstar's words. "These kits, daughter and sons of brave Wildstorm and my loyal deputy Darkshine, they will be apprentices this day!"

"Willowkit, Rainkit and Breezekit, please step forward." The kits obeyed, barely containing their eagerness. "By naming new apprentices, we show the other clans that despite the fire we are still growing stronger and will survive no matter what." Bushstar called Rainkit forward first. "From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Rainpaw." The newly-named Rainpaw raised his chin proudly. "Ferretblaze, you are now ready to take on a new apprentice. You have done an excellent job with Sheepfur… You will now be mentor to Rainpaw. Ferretblaze, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of quick-thinking and bravery. I hope that you will pass on all you know to this young apprentice."

"I will Bushstar." Ferretblaze purred, eyeing his new apprentice in a friendly but searching way. It was as if he knew he had gotten the worst-tempered of the kits.

"Good." Bushstar said proudly, as Ferretblaze and Rainpaw touched noses politely and sat down again. "Now you, Breezekit."

As her black-furred brother stepped forward, Willowkit felt a tiny rush of irritation. Why should they both get made apprentices first? Everything was _her_ idea! But as soon as it had come the feeling was gone. She knew she would get her turn. It wasn't like Bushstar was leaving her till last on purpose, was it?

Tuning back in, she noticed that Sheepfur had stepped forward, indicating to Willowkit that she would be Breezekit's mentor. Bushstar was going through the same process that she had with Rainpaw. She had just reached the part where she was stating Sheepfur's qualities. "…you are ready for you're first apprentice. You have shown yourself to be a warrior of kindness and patience. I believe that you will be an excellent mentor to Breezepaw." The black tom gave his messy fur a quick lick before hastening to clumsily touch noses with Sheepfur.

Now it was Willowkit's turn. She gulped and stepped cautiously towards the base of the massive oak tree. She glanced at her brothers who nodded encouragingly; even Rainpaw gave her a warm look. She couldn't even understand her feelings; her whole body tingled with some emotion as she looked up at Bushstar. It was the first time Willowkit had ever felt slightly intimidated by her leader. Bushstar stared down at her, the she-cat's light grey fur rippling in the wind, her long scar on the side of her face contrasting heavily with her normally soft blue eyes, which were now radiating some unidentified emotion. "From this moment on," Bushstar spoke while her eyes locked with Willowkit's, the younger cat felt like she was having her soul searched. Bushstar's eyes spoke of questioning, curiosity and….was there also desperation and fear there? If there was, Bushstar was hiding it well. "this apprentice shall be know as Willowpaw." _Willowpaw. I'm Willowpaw now, an apprentice!_ Willowpaw felt a thrill of joy. She stole a look at her kin. Wildstorm sat behind her brothers. She looked so full of pride she might burst, her male kits blinked happily at her. Darkshine was sitting just in front of her at the base of the tree. He looked proud and happy that his kits were apprentices, but Willowpaw noticed his eyes flicking up to Bushstar. _Is he still trying to understand her change in heart?_ Willowpaw thought. _Or did he notice that look she gave me before?_ Willowpaw shook her head. She had just been made an apprentice; she could worry about that sort of thing later!

Nightwhisper floated up to sit beside her. She glanced at him tentatively and he flicked his tail at her reassuringly. "Nightwhisper, you are ready for a new apprentice. You are a warrior of diligence and loyalty. I hope you pass on all you know to young Willowpaw." Bushstar waited for the new mentor and apprentice to touch noses before crying out to the entire clan. "Let us welcome these new apprentices to the clan, may they learn fast and leave their mark on our clan. Lets show all clans we are still strong!"

The whole clan joined in, yowling out the apprentices new names. "Willowpaw, Breezepaw, Rainpaw! Willowpaw, Breezepaw, Rainpaw!" As the clan pressed in on them, Willowpaw's brothers embraced the other cats and vanished into the purring, meowing throng. But Willowpaw threw a look over her shoulder to see Bushstar creeping back towards her den, her head hung low and her eyes troubled. She appeared to have reverted to her old self once more. Willowpaw noticed she was not the only one to see this. Darkshine observed her slink into her den with concern clear to see on his face. Pondwhisker had looked up from congratulating her mate on his new apprentice. She followed Bushstar's progress with a dark, calculating look on her face that reminded Willowpaw of triumph. _I have a feeling GustClan's troubles have just begun…_ Her dream from only a few days before entered her mind once more. The cat of StarClan had been cut off. Was there more danger on the way? **And what was wrong with her GustClan's leader?**

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Enough said I think. Mull all that over now. See you next time!**


	13. Chapter 11

_**Sorry for the big delay! After the Christchurch earthquake (yes I was in it, and yes, it was bloody terrifying) I didn't feel like writing much. Also, I apologise for the quality of this chapter, I really don't like it honestly. But hey, you guys might feel different!**_

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The full moon blazed down on a small party of cats as they trudged along a dusty twoleg path in single file. At the head of the line, an elegant dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat walked tall and proud, despite the fact she and her clanmates were currently meandering through a territory that was not their own. A dark grey tom with black stripes padded along beside her murmuring words no other cat could hear.

"What's Nightsky saying to Sorrelstar?" One red-furred she-cat asked from near the back. The recipient of question was also red in colour, but darker. It was also a tom and looked slightly younger.

The tom narrowed his silver eyes. "Oh I don't know Red**wind**, I'm not a bat. If you can't hear them, neither can I." He kept his face straight, but his voice was undertoned with bitterness and annoyance.

Redwind looked affronted, her hazel eyes flashed. "Look Rowanpaw. I can't make Sorrelstar give you your warrior name! So don't get all huffy with me, it's not my fault Fallingpetal and I were made warriors and you weren't, so don't take it out on me!" She then fluffed up her fur and stalked further ahead to talk to a very large ginger tom. She did not look back.

Rowanpaw sighed. Redwind and Fallingpetal had been the closest thing he had to friends since kithood, but since they had been made warriors and he hadn't… Well, things had become a bit more complicated to say the least. _I should happy for them. This is their first Gathering as warriors… Come on Rowanpaw!_ He shouted to himself in his mind. _You always knew they'd probably become warriors before you! They are two moons older after all. Get a grip... It's not like its Dappledpaw or something. __**That**__ would be unfair. _In his brooding, Rowanpaw did not notice a white she-cat come up beside him. She gave a soft purr and brushed her tail along his flank.

"Rowanpaw, why do you look so down? I thought you would be happy to go to this Gathering; it is the first one since that big fire after all… It should be very interesting. Plus Dappledpaw isn't here; I thought you'd be happy you get to spend time away from her."

"Oh, hey Blizzardpaw." Rowanpaw greeted his sister automatically. "I didn't see you there."

"Well, I'm not surprised. You were staring at your own paws after all. I don't think you've even noticed that we can see the Great Oak now." Blizzardpaw's blue eyes stared over Rowanpaw's head. Rowanpaw followed her gaze. The shadowy outline of the mighty tree where Gatherings took place could now be seen in the distance.

Rowanpaw **was** very interested in this Gathering. He had always enjoyed them. Being at the far corner of the territories made GorseClan quite isolated to what was going on elsewhere. The same curiosity that had driven him over the border with FernClan was what drove him to try and go to every Gathering he could. After all, it was a way of getting to know ones enemies… their strengths and weaknesses laid bare for any intelligent cat to see and hear if they looked and listened hard enough. Rowanpaw was very good at that.

"GorseClan!" Sorrelstar's smooth voice called from up ahead. Rowanpaw had been so absorbed in his own thoughts, he had not noticed that the procession had come to a halt and that they were now right outside the Gathering Hollow. Many cat scents of different clans wafted under his nose, many different voices echoed in his ears. "It would appear we are the last to arrive…" Sorrelstar was peering through one of the many bushes and small trees that surrounded the hollow. "We best not waste any more time, let's go." Her cunning dark blue eyes swept over her cats; Nightsky, Redwind, Fallingpetal, Gingerclaw, Rowanpaw, Blizzardpaw, Cloudflame, Sunfall and Drizzleclaw. It was a quite small group, but it was understandable in the current circumstances, Rowanpaw thought.

"And remember everyone; let us all not say more than needs to be said." Sorrelstar's eyes flashed briefly and all around her the other cats nodded in understanding. Rowanpaw almost snorted with impatience. What cat was stupid enough to reveal their clan's darkest and most silent of secrets at a Gathering?

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As he skidded down the slight bank into the hollow, Rowanpaw was immediately confronted with two blurs bowling into him and pinning him to the ground. He hissed and struggled, trying to claw at his attackers. "Gerroff me!" He snarled, his face slightly pressed into the soil. "What's wrong with you?" Unable to see his assailants, he twisted and writhed, surprised and angry that no-cat from his clan was trying to help him when they were still mere cat lengths away. Indeed, some appeared to be laughing.

"A number of things. What about you Keapaw?"

"Oh, I'd say quite a lot as well, Gorsepaw."

_Oh great StarClan NO… __**not them**_**. **Rowanpaw managed to turn his head to see two young she-cats, one a brown tabby, the other a grey with golden markings. "Go away, you mousebrains!" He shoved the she-cats off him with a burst of energy. He scrambled to his paws quickly, somehow knowing it would be unwise to remain on the ground. After living with Dappledpaw, he had learnt to never underestimate an insane she-cat, and two was sure to be much worse. He scooted a few cat lengths away just in case.

"Oh, so this is the welcome I get after saving your butt from that bush, Rowanpaw?" The grey she-cat mocked a hurt look on her face. "Gorsepaw, I do believe we've just caught an ungrateful little tom with some gorse thorns up his arse."

Gorsepaw purred. "Indeed, perhaps we should… remove them." The tabby unsheathed her claws, an evil look on her face. Rowanpaw knew she was joking, but it didn't stop him from backing away. _Why is it always me?_

As the crazy she-cats advanced on him, Rowanpaw started to think that meeting them was StarClan's way of punishing him for his lack of belief. These cats were going to hassle him for the rest of his life, he could just tell.

"My, my, Rowanpaw… You are always surrounded by she-cats." Rowanpaw flicked his eyes to the source of this new voice. It was a grey and black tom with large paws and mischievous light green eyes. "You've got to tell me how you do it mate, seriously."

"Goosepaw." Rowanpaw sighed, relieved. Goosepaw was his sort-of friend from MarshClan, not very bright and a bit of a trouble maker, but welcome in this situation never the less.

"What a pity." Keapaw meowed in a disappointed tone. "Can't do much when he has backup, eh Gorsepaw?"

The brown tabby she-cat nodded, and then with a sweep of her tail, she and her companion vanished into the mass of cats that were filling the hollow. "See ya later Rowanpaw!" She called over her shoulder, winking at him. Rowanpaw shuddered while Goosepaw smirked behind him.

Rowanpaw shook his head as the she-cats disappeared. "Why are all she-cats mad?" He spat.

Goosepaw laughed. "Mate, not all she-cats are mad… just the ones you know." As if to prove his point, two unknown female apprentices strolled past, meowing a friendly and perfectly normal greeting to Goosepaw. "See?" The tom laughed even louder.

Rowanpaw was feeling thoroughly humiliated, he was meant to be an excellent fighter and highly intelligent, but he had been easily tackled by two scrawny she-cats! Cursing his lack of vigilance, he stalked towards the crowd of cats in the centre of the hollow. He could see and smell cats of all clans. He looked around, spotting groups of warriors, elders and apprentices. He also spotted a queen sticking her head out of a den off to the side. Very young kits were mewling inside. The queen observed the Gathering longingly before ducking back into the den, her soothing voice could be heard quieting the kits. _Looks like GustClan are still living here. I wonder what their leader will say about the fire? How can she possibly stop her clan from looking weak and vulnerable? _Clan politics interested Rowanpaw, after all, if he wanted to be leader one day, he had to study them carefully.

"Rowanpaw!" Goosepaw's impatient voice broke through his thoughts. "Come on over here already! You gotta hear this story!" The grey and white apprentice was sitting in amongst a large group, all apprentices. _That must be almost every apprentice at the Gathering. _He padded over and took his place between Blizzardpaw and Goosepaw. The apprentices were all staring intently at three GustClan apprentices, who were the only ones talking. Rowanpaw had never seen them before; they must have been new apprentices, because they still looked very young, perhaps only just six moons. They appeared to be telling a story about their actions in the fire. There was a light brown she-cat, a black tom with messy fur and a dark grey tom. They all bore the black marks of the fire, like the rest of the GustClan cats he had seen. The she-cat was the one speaking the most; she was confident and sounded proud. The toms spoke more occasionally, the black seemed slightly nervous, the dark grey was very obnoxious.

Rownapaw noted the other apprentices present. He always found it interesting to see how other cats acted in these social situations…by reading their behaviour, he was figuring out various weapons that could be used against them. He saw a white and grey she-cat with a long fluffy tail and green eyes. That was Duckpaw, Goosepaw's sister. She looked calm and was absent-mindedly grooming a forepaw as she listened. Next to her was another cat he did not know, it was one of the she-cats from earlier. It was a white she-cat with grey tabby patches and soft brown eyes. She had the scent of a FieldClan cat and seemed scared of all the other cats, but still wanting to hear the story, was forcing herself to remain. Blizzardpaw noticed him looking at her. "That's Deerpaw." She whispered in his ear. "I've met her a couple of times, she's really shy, but also pretty and sweet. I like her." Rowanpaw's sister threw him a sidelong glance. "Interested?" She mewed slyly.

Rowanpaw flattened his ears at her, feeling impatience creep along his pelt. Blizzardpaw seemed to think that Rowanpaw was far too handsome not to have a mate, and was determined to set him up with every other she-cat his age, whether they were in another clan or not.

"No, I'm not." He hissed between his teeth bluntly. "Stop trying to-" He broke off as the story in the background reached an interesting part. He listened intently for a moment. _Those three…saved two other cats in the camp? Well, I can't say I'm not surprised. They were made apprentices for it too…after trespassing and disobeying orders? Interesting._

Suddenly a dark brown warrior tom with a long pelt stalked up to the chatting group. "All of you youngsters better hush up now." He turned his large powerful head towards the Great Oak in the middle of the hollow. "The Gathering is about to start." Rowanpaw noted the noise of talking cats dying down and the leaders of the Clans ascending the tree. One of them, Murkstar, looked furious for some reason. His claws were unsheathed and he was giving nasty looks to Sorrelstar. She appeared to be ignoring him. _I wonder what Sorrelstar has done to annoy him?_ Rowanpaw had always taken Murkstar to be a rather light-hearted leader and a bit of a fool.

The warrior flicked his tail towards one of the apprentices, a long-haired black she-cat Rowanpaw had not noticed lurking on the edge of the group. Rowanpaw recognised her as Swanpaw from MarshClan. Goosepaw had introduced them last Gathering, but she looked a bit different from that time. The scars on the she-cat were there last time, but… _She's covered in… are those burn marks?_ He also noted her front paws were wrapped up in cobweb, a poultice being held in place by it. The other difference was in her demeanour. When Rowanpaw had met her last time, she had been a reasonably good natured, fun loving she-cat. Now she was acting more like Deerpaw. Her eyes flicked around, resting on each cat around her in turn. Swanpaw crouched low to the ground nervously; her eyes wider than normal and her ears were angled back. She also seemed reluctant to talk to any-cat.

The black apprentice raised her head to the warriors summons. "Coming Mudstorm." She mewed quietly, creeping past him, awkward on her obviously still sore paws, towards a group of warriors and elders from her Clan to listen to the Gathering. Mudstorm watched her pass with concern in his hazel eyes, before nodding to Goosepaw and Duckpaw to join him.

"Bye Rowanpaw." Duckpaw called politely as she left.

"Yeah, see ya pretty boy!" Goosepaw yowled over his shoulder. Several cats turned their heads to stare at the "pretty boy", including the FieldClan apprentice Skinkapaw, who Rowanpaw disliked immensely. The light brown tom narrowed his eyes mockingly from his position near the Great Oak. Rowanpaw felt his ears burn in shame. _Rowanpaw,_ He told himself. _You really need to make some normal acquaintances, before they either kill you, or embarrass you into living under a rock like a weta._

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_

The Gathering was rather normal from there on. Flamestar had little to report, other than his clan was doing well, a litter was due soon and that they were about to make two new apprentices. Swallowstar, who looked less than pleased to hear that his greatest rival was doing well, spoke next. "MarshClan is also faring well in the drought, as we have plenty of prey and water available to us. Vinetangle, Mudstorm's mate, is in the process of giving birth as we speak." He paused to allow several cat congratulate Mudstorm, who was sitting close the front, Swanpaw at his side. Rowanpaw noted in surprise that many of them were GustClan cats, as well as those from Mudstorm's own clan.

Swallowstar continued his voice as smooth as ever. "We also report that the patrol we sent to aid GustClan during the fire has all but recovered completely. Several cats had some smoke inhalation issues, but these have now cleared up. Now we are just awaiting the brave Swanpaw's injuries to finish healing. As you can see, she is now well enough to travel and hunt. We thank the medicine cats of GustClan and FieldClan for their help in the early treatment of the patrol." He inclined his massive brown head to the group of medicine cats, several of which returned the gesture and then the black apprentice, who squirmed uncomfortably. She had clearly been hoping her leader wouldn't identify her by name. Rowanpaw thought it rather cruel that he had, it was embarrassing. _I wonder what she did to get those injuries and for Swallowstar to call her brave?_

Like Firestar before him, Swallowstar gave Bushstar his hopes for her clan's speedy recovery, which she thanked him for.

Swallowstar turned to Murkstar. "Would you like to speak next?"

The black toms ears flattened and his lip curled. "No. I will speak last." He growled. Swallowstar didn't look at all offended, indeed, he looked merely amused.

"Very well, Sorrelstar how about you?"

"Of course." The young leader purred silkily, stepping forward so she stood at the end of the thick branch the leaders sat on. Rowanpaw noticed Murkstar narrowing his eyes into green slits of malice as his leader moved forward. "All is well in GorseClan. We have named two new warriors, Redwind and Fallingpetal, who are both with us here tonight." Cats cried out their congratulations to the new warriors. "We also hope to name some more apprentices in the near future. The clan is the strongest it has been in many moons. We offer our sympathies to GustClan, and GorseClan promises we will not do anything to interfere with your clan's recovery."

"Why bother saying that?" Blizzardpaw asked from beside Rowanpaw as Bushstar thanked Sorrelstar then began to recount the story of the fire.

Her brother narrowed his eyes. "She's basically just saying she won't try to steal prey or territory from GustClan It's just to get Bushstar on side, I think. Sorrelstar is the new leader of a clan that has been greatly hated for many moons. It's important she starts finding leverage… After all, why would we want **their** territory? FieldClan is between them and us for a start, not to mention the fact it's all burned up."

"Oh." Blizzardpaw replied, and then falling silent, her blue eyes glazed in thought. Rowanpaw knew what she was thinking. _GorseClan needs all the leverage it can get. Sooner or later our little secret will get out, no matter what Sorrelstar does, then all sort of chaos it going to happen._

When Rowanpaw tuned back in again, Bushstar had finished speaking and had moved back for Murkstar to take her place. The tom strode forward with purpose, his gaze sweeping over the cats below him. "Cats of all clans…" He snarled, his pelt bristling with barely contained fury. "Normally I would speak about how my clan has fared this past moon, but I will not do so this night." He dug his claws deep into the bark of the Great Oak. Rowanpaw stiffened, as did the GorseClan cats around him. He did not like where this was going.

"You don't think-?" Redwind whispered from Rowanpaw's other side, a look of horror on her face.

"Shhh!" He hissed back. "Just listen!"

Murkstar's tail lashed back and forth. "No, tonight I will reveal a great secret that has been kept from us all. Many of you will remember a cat. A cat with a pelt of pure white, claws as bloodthirsty as a mad dog and a heart as cold and ruthless as ice…"

Sorrelstar's eyes widened as Rowanpaw felt his stomach drop. _He knows…_

"When this cat became a leader, he finally had the power he had longed for. He used it to kill cats of other clans, to murder those who stood in his way in his own clan and even to raid the camps of others to kill harmless kits, amongst other atrocities. Eventually his own clan summoned to courage to overthrow him. They promised to execute the traitorous kit-killer for his crimes, and so we all believed that they did. This cat vanished from the territories. One of the most evil cats in history was dead… Or so we thought!" Murkstar stood and whirled around to face Sorrelstar, his teeth bared. "What we didn't know is that these cowardly, thorn-pelted scourges did not kill him! They merely banished him from GorseClan, let him leave the territory alive, and stripped of his name, rank and clan! And now what happens because of this treachery? That very cat has been spotted lingering on the borderlands of clan territory once more, he was not alone either! He probably is preparing to invade us at this very moment."

"You can not do this Murkstar," Sorrelstar meowed as calmly as she could. She too was now on her paws. "StarClan will be angry."

"Hah!" Murkstar laughed at her. "Do you see any clouds threating the moon, traitor? No! StarClan is on my side this time." He crouched, preparing to spring. Rowanpaw watched as the other leaders leapt down form the tree, they did not wish to be up there while the two leaders fought.

Cats below were now on their feet, many yowling and hissing with their pelts fluffed up and their tails arched, small scuffles began to break out amongst cats of GorseClan and the others. Rowanpaw drew his companions close to him and began to edge towards the forest. He spotted Goosepaw and Duckpaw weaving amongst the fray. Goosepaw's hurt-filled eyes met Rowanpaw's, he gazed at him sadly for a minute before vanishing again.

The red-furred apprentice saw Murkstar's eyes flick to the unfolding battle below with satisfaction on his face. "That's right, cats of all clans! Fight these wretched GorseClanners, too long they have plagued us… Know that they have betrayed us!" As the black tom leapt through the air, glinting claws unsheathed to attack Sorrelstar, he screeched. "For Icestar lives!"

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_**OOOOOHHHHH. YES, I DID. **_

_**Next chapter is an updated Allegiances, and then after that we do a time skip of about a week after the Gathering. I'm thinking Skinkpaw's POV for that one. MAYBE.**_


	14. Updated Allegiances

**Here is the updated allegiences as of CH 12. You will notice quite a few changes, please read through and try and spot them all. You will note that I have removed the "Mains" section from the bottom of the page. This is because they do not really apply any more in some cases; I am currently reviewing my storyline. Don't worry all "Chosen" cats. I.e. Dappledpaw, Willowpaw, Sparkpaw, Skinkpaw and Gorsepaw are still the same! Weaseldash and Breezepaw are also still going with them.**

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_**There are five clans;**_

_**FernClan- lives in a narrow but long territory wedged between a river and a cliff that runs the length of clan territories. The territory is mixed forest made up of willows, native trees and ferns, as well as various ground plants. Their camp is in the thickest part of their territory and is surrounded by brambles and ferns on one side and the cliff face on the other. MarshClan is to the west and GorseClan is to the south. A tiny tip of FieldClan territory is touching theirs at the southwest. To the north is a thunder path and the way to Star Falls and beyond that is unknown to any clan cat.**_

_**MarshClan- lives in the marsh, tall swamp grass andwillow trees at the edge of the small lake in the clan territories. The clump of willows contains a giant, ancient tree with branches that touch the ground, and create a curtain which the camp is beneath. FernClan territory is to the east, and FieldClan territory is to the south. To the west is the Great Tree Hollow, which is where the clans meet for Gatherings. To the north is the lake.**_

_**FieldClan- lives in the long grass field in the centre of the clan territories. There are a few pine trees here and there in the territory and where there are a few close together a few have fallen on top of each other. This is where the camp is. Their borders touch those of all the other clans. GorseClan is to the east, MarshClan is to the north and GustClan is to the east. A tip of their territory touches FernClan's to the norhteast. South is a mysterious uncharted territory. GorseClan and FernClan travel through their territory to reach Gatherings.**_

_**GorseClan- lives in the dry scrubland and on the rocky cliffs the lines the east of clan territory. There are only a few tall trees in their territory, and they are mostly on the border between GorseClan and FernClan. Their camp is in the middle of scrub and gorse bushes that are on a large ledge on the cliff side. FernClan is to the north and FieldClan is to the west. The east has the cliff and farmland beyond them and the south is the source of the river. No cat has ever travelled that way.**_

_**GustClan- GustClan makes their home on the rolling hills on the far west side of the territories. The wind sweeps down of the mountains beyond. The whole territory is short grass and a couple of bushes. The clan shares their territory with twoleg sheep. They are the clan that is most affected by drought. The camp is a hollow in the ground with a few bushes for the queens and elders. To the east is the circle of trees around the biggest tree any cat has ever seen known as the Great Tree Hollow which is where gatherings take place. To the southeast is FieldClan, north is Star Falls and south is more farmland and hills.**_

* * *

_**FERNCLAN- fair and strong, FernClan are devoted to their clanmates and follow the warrior code to the letter. They dislike MarshClan because their borders are so close and are only divided by a shallow river that is bare most of summer. They defend themselves with ferocity.**_

LEADER Flamestar- orange tabby tom with white on the tip of his tail and amber eyes. (Six Lives)

**Apprentice: Aspenpaw**

DEPUTY Caramelblaze- golden brown she-cat with blue eyes that have a golden tint.

**Apprentice: Falconpaw**

MEDICINE CAT Cloverdapple- dappled light brown and white she-cat with topaz-coloured eyes.

WARRIORS

1. Tuitail- a black she-cat with a glossy, feathery coat and a long, fluffy tail. She has green eyes.

**Apprentice: Alpinepaw**

2. Willowstrike- pretty brown she-cat with very long claws and light amber eyes.

**Apprentice: Gorsepaw**

3. Poppytail- a tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and amber eyes. Mate: Thunderclaw.

4. Thunderclaw- a strong golden brown tom with green eyes.

**Apprentice: Kiwipaw**

5. Specklefur- a light brown spotted tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

6. Longstripe- a grey tom with long white stripes and amber eyes, former rouge.

7. Harefoot- a speedy, light brown tabby tom with a white tail, large paws and yellow eyes. Mate: Lancewing.

**Apprentice: Keapaw**

8. Eagleflight- a big mottled grey-brown tom with golden eyes. Mate: Silverfern.

9. Liontail- loyal, large, handsome golden tabby tom with amber eyes. Has long thick fur that's hard to get claws into. Mate: Blossomstorm

10. Sliverfern- A stunning slender silver she-cat with darker flecks. She has black tipped ears and bright emerald green eyes.

APPRENTICES

1. Gorsepaw- brown tabby she-cat with off-white stripes along her tail and bright green eyes.

2. Keapaw- fun-loving grey she-cat with golden markings on her face and sides. Light grey eyes.

3. Kiwipaw- brown tom with light grey spots and very messy fur. He has green eyes.

4. Falconpaw- grey tom with very long claws and yellow eyes.

5. Aspenpaw- beautiful silver she-cat with black tipped ears and emerald green eyes.

6. Alpinepaw- snowy-grey tom with thick fur and darker-grey patches, he has keen blue eyes.

QUEENS

1. Lancewing- a lithe, very dark brown, almost black tabby and white queen with orange eyes and a very long tail she often holds straight up like a Lancewood tree. Newborn kits. Kits= Smokekit- black tom with very faint tabby markings and yellow eyes. / Rimukit- tabby and white she-cat with orange eyes and a long tail.

2. Blossomstorm- blue-cream tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes that have flecks of orange in them. Has young kits= Robinkit- dark ginger tom with green eyes./ Oceankit- blue/grey she-cat with white paws and a white blaze down her face and amber eyes./ Palekit- cream tom with long fur and green eyes.

ELDERS

1. Shadowwing- grumpy black she-cat with white stripes on her sides and bright green eyes. Oldest cat in clan.

2. Flowerseed- light brown she-cat with black spots and golden eyes.

3. Fireclaw- still fierce ginger and white tom with darker green eyes. Very stiff in his old age.

* * *

_**MARSHCLAN- a proud and arrogant clan which particularly dislikes FernClan and often gets in border skirmishes with them. They love water and are very family orientated. If you threaten their family or insult them, prepared to get clawed.**_

LEADER Swallowstar- large muscular dark brown tabby tom with strange black jagged tabby markings, white paws, and a white muzzle. He has amber eyes and has a crescent shaped scar over his right eye. (Lives= 4)

DEPUTY Darksky- a grey tom with blue eyes.

**Apprentice: Greypaw**

MEDICINE CAT Dawnfeather- an average sized she-cat that is blind in one eye and has tan fur, her eye colour is brown with flecks of hazel.

**Apprentice: Stoatpaw**- a snowy white she-cat with an unusually long tail and very dark blue eyes.

WARRIORS

1. Nightfrost- a black she-cat with yellow eyes.

2. Mudstorm- a dark brown tom with long fur and hazel eyes. Mate: Vinetangle

**Apperentice: Swanpaw**

3. Duskclaw- a mousy brown tom with medium length fur and hazel eyes.

**Apprentice: Duckpaw**

4. Reedclaw- dark brown tom with grey stripes and dark amber eyes.

5. Pebblestream- short-tempered, light grey she-cat with light brown patches and green eyes.

6. Weedwalker- dark brown tom with light grey paws and yellow eyes.

7. Weaseldash- swift grey tom with blue eyes and one white paw.

**Apprentice: Sparkpaw**

8. Heronwing- white she-cat with warm dark eyes.

**Apperentice: Goosepaw**

9. Gekotail- short, yet burly orange tom with black stripes and tail tip. His tail is unusually thick and fluffy. His usually wide open eyes are amber.

APPRENTICES

1. Swanpaw- a pitch black she-cat with a long, sleek, shiny coat and murky green-brown eyes. Has scars on her shoulder, left flank and tail.

2. Greypaw- a dark grey tom with green eyes.

3. Goosepaw- grey and black tom with large feet and light green eyes. A trouble maker.

4. Duckpaw- a white and grey she-cat with a long fluffy tail and green eyes.

5. Sparkpaw- golden tabby tom with dark blue eyes.

QUEENS

1. Vinetangle- a light brown she-cat with dapples of darker fur or her short, course pelt. Pale green eyes. Kits= Kiwikit- a dappled brown she cat with hazel eyes. / Keakit- a brown she cat with green eyes.

ELDERS

1. Mousewhisker- a light brown tabby tom with long whiskers and blue eyes. Oldest cat in clan.

2. Emeraldeye- a black and white she-cat with bright green eyes.

3. Longpelt- a brown tabby she-cat with a very long coat and amber eyes.

* * *

_**FIELDCLAN- this clan keeps to themselves and stays out of others way, preferring not to get in wars and take sides. They are a clan that enjoys natural beauty, and will often gather feathers and leaves to line their nests and decorate their camp.**_

LEADER Shadystar- black tom with streaks of grey and light green eyes. Five lives left.

**Apprentice: Skinkpaw**

DEPUTY Heronlegs- a pretty light greyish-blue she-cat with very long legs. Bright blue eyes

**Apprentice: Kokakopaw**

MEDICINE CAT Cindereye- grey she-cat with blue eyes. Sister of Longstripe, past loner.

**Apprentice: Grassgaze**- a sturdily built tom cat with a very adept sense of smell. He has brown tabby fur with one white paw and soft green eyes.

WARRIORS

1. Waspfang- a honey-coloured she-cat with dark amber eyes and a bite like an angry wasp's sting.

**Apprentice: Deerpaw**

2. Possumtail- skittish dark grey tom with a long black tail and yellow eyes. Mate: Fallingbird

3. Batear- laid back black tom with very large ears and blue eyes.

4. Falconcry- a quiet, smallish, brown tom with bright green eyes. Mate: Silverseal.

**Apprentice: Kakapopaw**

5. Pigsqueal- a whiney light golden she-cat with ginger stripes and amber eyes.

6. Sealbite- loyal greyish-silver tom with somewhat small teeth. Blue eyes with streaks of gold in them.

7. Ragingbreeze- white tom with grey patches and pale green/blue eyes. Mate: Seedpelt

**Apprentice: Mistpaw**

8. Pineneedle- golden tabby tom with white toes and a short, prickly coat. Green eyes.

**Apprentice: Thornpaw**

9. Lashingbreeze- pale grey tabby she-cat with orange eyes.

10. Dashingwind- dark grey tom with white on his paws and chest. Pale orange eyes.

11. Silverseal- a silver tabby she-cat with long glossy fur and warm chocolate brown eyes.

APPRENTICES

1. Deerpaw- a white she-cat with grey tabby patches and soft brown eyes.

2. Kakapopaw- a chatter-box, grey she-cat with white circles over her eyes and a white tipped tail. Her eyes are dark brown, almost black in colour.

3. Skinkpaw- a light brown tom with darker stripes and dark green eyes.

4. Mistpaw- a silver she-cat with green eyes.

5. Thornpaw- a brown tom with chocolate brown eyes.

6. Kokakopaw- light grey she-cat with blue eyes.

QUEENS

1. Seedpelt- a mottled tabby/tortoiseshell queen with frosty blue eyes. Expecting kits to Ragingbreeze.

2. Fallingbird- golden tabby and white she-cat with green eyes. Kits= Kowhaikit- dark golden tom with a white tail tip and green eyes. / Leafkit- very dark grey tom with bright green eyes and long legs and a long tail. / Whitekit- white she-cat with grey tabby patches and yellow eyes.

ELDERS

1. Mudblaze- white tom with a brown blaze that runs from the top his nose to the base of his tail. A great storyteller. Oldest cat in clan.

2. Swiftmeadow- dark golden tabby tom with light grey stripes and amber eyes.

3. Ratatail- delicate white she-cat with black speckles, a bushy tail that is tipped black and pale amber eyes.

* * *

_**GORSECLAN- the most suspicious and aggressive clan, GorseClan don't like other clans. They are very loyal to their own clanmates however. They are also ambitious and clever. They now have more warriors than ever before. **_

LEADER Sorrelstar- beautiful, dark tortoiseshell she-cat, with dark blue eyes, a white muzzle, white paws, a white chest, a black-tipped tail, and a black, brown, and amber dappled pelt. Her eyes have circles of dark fur around them, and one is darker than the other. She also has a gold-and-black striped tail. Nine Lives. Mate: Sparrowfeather.

**Apprentice: Redpaw**

DEPUTY Nightsky- dark grey tom with black stripes and yellow eyes. Mate: Fishflight.

**Apprentice: Cloudpaw**

MEDICINE CAT Cloudflame- sharp-tongued white tom with ginger patches and dark amber eyes. Almost deaf and blind in his right eye.

WARRIORS

1. Lizardstrike- grey tom with very sharp teeth and amber eyes. Mate: Whitefur

**Apprentice: Stormpaw**

2. Geckofoot- a blue/grey and white tom with large paws and dark green eyes. An expert climber. Mate: Freezefang

3. Freezefang- a cold white she-cat with silver markings on her face and ice blue eyes.

**Apprentice: Rowanpaw**

4. Sparrowfeather- handsome dark brown tom with a golden dappled pelt, a black muzzle and a reddish brown stripped pelt. Pale green eyes. Has a distinctive scar running from the base of his tail along his flank.

**Apprentice: Blizzardpaw**

5. Nectarpelt- a pretty long-haired ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes. She has a large nick in her left ear.

6. Watersplash- beautiful silver she-cat with white tabby stripes going down her back and black tabby stripes going down her legs and tail. Bright electric blue eyes.

7. Gingerclaw- an enormous dark ginger tabby tom with sly green eyes. **(Renamed)**

**Apprentice: Dappledpaw**

8. Barkclaw- aggressive dark brown tom with pale blue eyes.

9. Drizzleclaw- a gruff blue-grey tom with a scarred muzzle and long, black claws.

10. Redwind- A red furred she cat with a slender lithe body and small dainty paws. She has pale-coloured claws that while small are hooked wicked. On the left side of her face is a small scar from a fight she was in. Her eyes are a twinkling hazel.

11. Fallingpetal- a dappled tabby/tortoiseshell with semi-long fur and amber eyes. She has a habit of leaping on prey/enemies from above.

12. Geckohiss- kind, pale golden she-cat with ginger markings on her hind legs. Soft amber eyes.

APPRENTICES

1. Dappledpaw- dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes.

2. Rowanpaw- has long, deep cherry-red fur that turns golden in heavy sunlight. His paws are snow-white, along with the tips of his ears and tail. His muzzle has a white splash on it, which makes his black nose stick out heavily. His eyes are rather fickle, being that they act like a mood indicator. Normally, they are a tranquil silver colour, but with heavy emotion, they slightly glaze over a blue-silver colour. There is a long, faded pink scar across his left flank from a battle with a thicket long ago.

3. Blizzardpaw- White she-cat with short fur and blue eyes.

4. Stormpaw- dark grey tom with a black chest and amber eyes.

5. Cloudpaw- a pure white she-cat with odd pinkish coloured eyes.

QUEENS

1. Whitefur- snow white cat that is deaf in one ear. One green, one blue eye. Expecting kits to Lizardstrike.

2. Fishflight- light grey and silver queen with a long, slim body and dark green eyes. Kits= Featherkit- light grey and silver tom with long fur and amber eyes. Adopted kits= Zephyrkit- pretty jet black she-cat with dainty snow white paws and a white diamond spot between her eyes. Has big, round blue eyes./ Breezekit- white tom with large black paws. Has a black diamond shaped mark between his eyes. Has large round blue eyes. Small scar over his muzzle.

3. Raindapple- withdrawn beautiful silver she-cat with a black dappled pelt and dark blue eyes. Has a scar on her right shoulder. Former rouge. Kits= Stormykit- smoky grey tom with long fur. Has tufted ears and unusually long whiskers. His eyes are dark blue and he has white paws./ Leopardkit- very small silver she-cat with a black dappled pelt and blue eyes.

ELDERS

1. Sunfall- still pretty golden she-cat with light blue eyes. Is almost completely deaf.

* * *

**GUSTCLAN-** _**the most timid of all clans, they would rather avoid a fight if they could. They are also the most fun-loving and gentle. They are the most spiritually connected clan, and live the closest to Star Falls, the waterfall where the Clans go to speak to StarClan .Recently lost much of their territory in a devastating fire.**_

LEADER Bushstar- light grey she-cat with a long scar down the side of her face and blue eyes. (Seven lives)

**Apprentice: Takahepaw**

DEPUTY Darkshine- black tom with lighter stripes and amber eyes. Mate: Wildstorm

MEDICINE CAT Swiftbreeze- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice: Mosspaw**- cream she-cat with white on her face, leg and belly. Has a small white dot on her forehead. She has light green eyes.

WARRIORS

1. Pondwhisker- dark grey, long-haired she-cat with pretty amber eyes. Mate: Nightwhisper

2. Nightwhisper- black tom with dark grey stripes and green eyes.

**Apprentice: Willowpaw**

3. Sheepfur- a white she-cat with black paws, has a very thick pelt and amber eyes.

**Apprentice: Breezepaw**

4. Ferretblaze- brown and white tom cat with green eyes. Mate: Pukekoflower

**Apprentice: Rainpaw**

5. Maplestreak- long-haired russet tom with intense green eyes.

6. Frostrain- white tom with orange eyes and a scar on his shoulders.

**Apperentice- Huiapaw**

7. Wildstorm- ginger she-cat with dark grey spots and her fur sticks up all over the place. Smoky grey eyes.

APPRENTICES

1. Huiapaw-a timid black she cat with a tan-ish yellow marking on her neck. She has pale hazel eyes.

2. Takahepaw- a feisty blue-grey tom cat with bright green eyes who looks nothing like his sister.

3. Willowpaw- light brown she-cat with a scar on her leg and light grey eyes.

4. Breezepaw- a black tom with very long claws and fur that sticks up all over the place. Amber eyes with rings of grey in them.

5. Rainpaw- A dark grey tom with ginger spots and amber eyes.

QUEENS

1. Pukekoflower- black she cat with a lithe slender body with hints of blue-grey in her fur. She has blue eyes. Kits= Tuatarakit- a large tom with brown fur that has white splotches over it. His eyes are hazel. /Woolkit-A fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes. She has a lot of fur and looks like a giant white puff ball. / Tuikit- a black tom with a white patch on his throat. Green eyes.

ELDERS

1. Chasingwind- a once swift golden tabby tom with dark hazel eyes. Retired early due to leg injury.

2. Pinefoot- a russet tom with still sharp claws and green eyes.

3. Windstep- cranky ginger tom with golden highlights and dark grey eyes.

4. Wrenwing- small pale tabby she-cat with orange eyes, completely blind due to cataracts.

* * *

**CATS OUTSIDE CLANS**

**The Scattered****: **_**these are the rouges that live together in a group in a distant twoleg place by the sea. I decided to give the group a name and a bit of structure, so here it is: The leader is the Boss, he or she is in charge of everything and all cats report to them. Next is the deputy, called a Second. He or she is almost as powerful as the boss, and can challenge the Boss for leadership at any time. The Boss is decided in a fight, which sometimes is to the death. Any cat can also fight the current Second for the position. Seconds take over when the Boss dies or steps down. Bosses and Seconds should be able to both hunt and fight. The rest of the adult cats are either hunters or fighters, which is pretty self explanatory. Tom's are usually fighters and she-cats are usually hunters, but this is not always the case. It's a matter of build and temperament. Learners are the apprentices. They have no mentors; the whole group of fighters or hunters teaches them whenever they have time. Kits go to being learners at 7 moons, and this is when their future position is decided on. They become fully-fledged hunters or fighters when they reach 12 moons, no matter their skill level. Lastly there are queens, which again is self-explanatory. There are no elders and no kind of healer. There is no room for weakness, cats that are too old are exiled and the sick treat themselves as best they can. There are a few old, sick or otherwise not-good-enough cats who are not members of The Scattered but live on the fringes of the group for safety.**_

BOSS: Boom- enormous dark ginger tom with green eyes. Mate: Link

SECOND: Mask- dark grey tom with black rings around his eyes, which are dark blue. Mate: Pebble.

FIGHTERS:

1. Falcon- obnoxious ginger tom with pale green eyes. Mate: Horse

2. Horse- a large cream she-cat with darker points and long hair, she has stunning blue eyes.

3. Buck- strong chestnut-furred tom with glaring hazel eyes.

4. Coal- very dark grey, almost black tom that is missing his right ear and has amber eyes with rings of blue in them.

HUNTERS:

1. Socks- a gentle and giving tiny tom cat. Has a black pelt with white fur around his paws, green eyes.

2. Kit-Kat- flirty light brown she-cat with darker stripes down her sides and amber eyes.

3. Creampuff- energetic fluffy cream-coloured she-cat with bright blue eyes. Mate: Buck

LEARNERS:

1. Kento- light grey tom with darker speckles down his back and icy blue eyes. Sister is Kaya. Will be a hunter.

2. Kaya- a shy, dark grey she-cat with white paws and icy blue eyes. Will be a hunter.

3. Kiwi- an apprentice-aged, beautiful light brown she cat with a white muzzle and hazel eyes. Will be a hunter.

4. Ghost- has short, sheet-white fur and bright blue eyes. He has a deep 'V' in his left ear and a long, pink scar down his left flank. Not deaf like most blue-eyed white cats. Will be a fighter.

5. North- a lithe, long-legged she-cat with a feathery tail. She has a snow-white pelt and golden eyes, that if you look closely, are flecked with green. She's a young cat; if she was in a Clan she would be somewhere between an older apprentice and a young warrior. Will be a fighter.

QUEENS:

1. Pebble- dark brown queen with lighter spots and forest green eyes. Expecting Mask's kits. Normally a fighter.

2. Link- silver tabby and white she-cat with green eyes. Kits= Steel (silver tabby tom with green eyes) and Wing (ginger and white she-cat with green eyes). Normally a hunter.

OTHER:

1. Aki- He is a light grey-silver tom with darker grey stripes down his back and a black tail-tip. He is missing a leg (his front right leg) and the right half of his face is damaged (kinda like Brightheart, but worse). Light amber with rings of green in them. Boom has deemed him unworthy to be apart of The Scattered.

2. Mud- Dark brown tom with black spots and green eyes. Silver tingeing around his face. Too old to be in The Scattered.

3. Mottle- tabby/tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes. Former hunter, currently has whitecough, so has been exiled to the fringes of the group.

4. Slinky- sleek black tom with orange eyes. Never seen without his sister Malinky. Chooses not to join the group fully, but hangs around for protection.

5. Malinky- thin black she-cat with yellow eyes. Never seen without Slinky. Has knowlage of healing herbs and is currently caring for Mottle. Chooses not to join the group fully, but hangs around for protection.

* * *

**Rouges:**

1. Riddle- a silver tabby tom with dark gold eyes, medium length fur and a scar on his face. Mate: The loner; Tempest. Lives in various places on the top of the cliffs, has been with Tempest lately.

2. Topaz- She is a black she-cat, but in the sun she looks a bit brown. She has yellow eyes with a little bit of green around the pupil. Formally a kittypet. Moves around in the area between GorseClan and the farm to the south.

3. Vampire- a black tom with white ears and particularly long canine teeth which show on the outside of his mouth. He has dark amber eyes. He flirts with many she-cats, and tends to sire white kits with pinkish-red eyes… Has no set territory, roams far and wide.

4. Icestar- pure white tom with pale green eyes. A foul, evil cat that was exiled from his clan, not long after becoming leader for murder (amongst other things), and has never been seen since. It is unknown whether or not he actually was given nine lives. Leader of GorseClan before Sorrelstar.

* * *

**Loners**:

1. Moonfall- a wise white she-cat with silvery stripes and ice blue eyes. Lives by Star Falls.

2. Tempest- a dark brown tabby she-cat with glowing green eyes. Expecting kits to Riddle. Lives in the pine forest on the top of the cliffs behind FernClan.

* * *

**Kittypets**:

1. Wendy- a calico she-cat who is rather plump and loves to chat.

2. Blake- a black and white tom with green eyes. Lives in the same house as Wendy.

3. Shadow- kind golden tabby she-cat with black stripes and piercing green eyes.

4. Suna- adventurous light ginger tom with darker stripes and dark green eyes.

* * *

**OTHER ANIMALS**

Dog: Rex- a large black and golden tan male dog with pointed ears. (German Shepherd)

Owl: Sharpclaws- a deadly tawny brown owl with giant yellow eyes. A known kit eater.

* * *

**CATS OF STARCLAN- **_**these are some of the important cats in StarClan that have appeared in the story thus far. I am really just putting these here so I (and you guys) don't have to keep looking back at old chapters to find out who these cats are.**_

1. Hazekit- dark grey and white tom with murky green eyes. Kit of Nightfrost and Darksky, sibling of Swanpaw and Greypaw. Died from Greencough. Former Clan: MarshClan

2. Horsestar- black and white she-cat with amber eyes. Former leader of GustClan, leader before Bushstar. Kits are Bushstar, Rockshatter (Dead) and Pondwhisker. Died when she lost her last life due to old age and illness.

3. Murkstar- sleek black tom with green eyes. Former leader of MarshClan, leader before Swallowstar. Lost last life in battle with FernClan. Kin is currently unknown.

4. Sunstar- golden tabby tom with long fur and amber eyes. Former leader of FieldClan, leader before Shadystar. Took no mate and has no living kin, but always fancied Horsestar. Last life lost in war between FieldClan and GorseClan when he and Boulderstar killed each other.

5. Beechstar- mottled brown she-cat with eyes as green as the forest. Former leader of FernClan, leader before Flamestar. Kin includes Caramelblaze, Cloverdapple, Willowstrike, Harefoot and Fireclaw. Died when she simply got too old. Actually had two lives left at the time.

6. Boulderstar- a lanky grey tabby tom with blue eyes. Former leader of GorseClan, leader before Icestar. Kin includes the rouge; Riddle, Raindapple, Drizzleclaw and Freezfang. Last life lost in war between his clan and FieldClan, when he and Sunstar killed each other. Is disliked by all the other leaders of his day.

7. Gingerhawk- large, dark ginger and white she-cat with green eyes. Murkstar's former deputy. Died when young twolegs thought it would be funny to throw her in the lake and she drowned. Fights with Murkstar a lot. Kin includes Gekotail and Mouseshisker. Former Clan: MarshClan.

8. Shimmerlight- a light silver tabby tom with amber eyes. Former medicine cat to Beechstar. Died of old age just as Flamestar began his leadership. No kin, apprentice was Cloverdapple. Former Clan: FernClan.

9. Soulpaw- tiny black she-cat that has stunning blue eyes. Former medicine cat apprentice during Sunstar's time as leader. Showed great promise, had deep connection to StarClan. Was killed by a dog that could not be controlled by its twoleg. Kin unknown. Former Clan: FieldClan.

10. Fogfur- pure white tom-cat with long fur and surprisingly soft green eyes. Brother was Icestar. Boulderstar's most loyal warrior. Died in the same battle that killed his leader.


	15. Chapter 12

**_OMG I AM SO SORRY FOR MY TOTAL LACK OF UPDATES... D: I feel terrible about it, mainly because now I am not at school and currently have no job (but I am looking!) I have all the time in the world to write AND I JUST CAN'T DO IT. It's like reverse psychology or something... its like when I was at school, I had no time to write, so naturally I wrote instead of doing schoolwork, and now I have nothing to do I CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO WRITE ANYTHING._**

**_Funny the way the world works isn't it? When you say "why?" I say "why not?" THIS IS MY PHILOSOPHY. THAT MADE NO SENSE AND WAS NOT IN CONTEXT. I AM NOW BLATTERING INCOMPREHENSIBLY. I LOVE CAPSLOCK._**

**_Anyway, to summarize last chapter (since it was so long ago everyone- including myself, has likely forgotten what happened); My writing descends slowly into farce, Rowanpaw is being a shitface 'cause he didn't get made a warrior, there's a gathering, GorseClan have a big secret, Shadystar (woops I called him Marshstar last chapter lol) is pissed, oh he knows the secret, oh snap Icestar is alive, oh snap x2 Shadystar declares war on GorseClan and attacks Sorrelstar. WELL THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON HERE I WONDER WHAT IT IS. I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I AM INCAPABLE OF PLANNING IN ADVANCE. I am making all of this up as I go along you know... WHY did I not plan out what was going to happen chapter by chapter, instead of just having a vague idea of what is going to happen long-term? I AM RANTING AGAIN._**

**_BUT FOR YOU ALL I HAVE TRIED. I REALLY HAVE. SO HERE, HAVE ANOTHER SHITTY CHAPTER... This is the fifth version of this chapter also..._**

**_Also, you know how I said I'd do a time skip? I LIED AGAIN. XD_**

**_(Sorry, you guys are getting the brunt of my bad mood today... Kkfnekfejnfnef GOOD DAY TO YOU.)_**

* * *

Gorsepaw hissed in anger as she felt claws slash across her side. Whirling around she snarled in the face of the GorseClan cat that attacked her and scratched at the white she-cat's face. The steady tempo of battle thundering in her head, the tabby apprentice pushed the stunned white cat to the ground and pinned her down. "What in the name of StarClan is going on?" She hissed at her opponent. This battle, those things Shadystar had said... they made no sense.

"It's true. All of it." The white she-cat replied in a low voice, blinking the blood from her scratches out of her eyes. "Icestar **is** alive, and he has been spotted near clan territory with other cats. I saw him on patrol myself, he was really far away, but Drizzleclaw said it was him. He called out to us. I'll never forget that voice..." Gorsepaw felt the cat shudder beneath her paws. _Icestar must be horrible to create this kind of reaction in cats who only saw him from a distance._

Gorsepaw had never seen Icestar herself, very few cats her age had, unless they saw him as tiny kits. Gorsepaw had only been a few weeks old when Icestar had been overthrown and supposedly killed. She knew he had been a very bad cat, one that was powerful enough to take over the clan after both the previous leader and deputy had been killed in the same battle. He had murdered, stole kits, prey and territory, even raided camps in the dead of night with no other purpose but to kill off as many cats as he could. Any cat that spoke out in his own clan was silenced brutally. _How... How could they of let him live?_ This was the ultimate betrayal of the other clan's trust in GorseClan,as Icestar was the ultimate betrayal of the warrior code in cat form. The warrior code was everything to Flamestar; to her father... _And to me._

"Why?" Gorsepaw demanded, her voice barely a whisper. She leaned in close, her jaws but a breath away from the she-cats neck. She dug her claws deeper into the cats pelt. Gorsepaw could feel the warm blood welling up at her claws, staining the she-cat's pure white fur with crimson. "Why didn't you kill him? Why did your clan keep it a secret that he was still alive?"

The young white cat narrowed her eyes, when she spoke it was with a scoff. "Look around us." She hissed defiantly, gesturing to the thrashing, yowling mass of cats that filled the gathering hollow. "It was easier not to, that's what Sorrelstar said. As for why he wasn't killed in the first place, I have no idea. I was still a kit when Icestar left." She flattened her ears and bared her teeth at the tabby. "Now get off, you have all the answers I can give you, unless you'd rather kill me? Would that make you **feel** better?"

_Would it? _

_No.. maybe... NO._

Before Gorsepaw had the chance to do anything, a screech of "Leave my sister alone!" filled her ears before a red mass barreled into her and made her tumble to the ground some distance away. Spitting out dirt, Gorsepaw brought her gaze up to meet a familiar pair of silver eyes that were filled with fury.

"Rowanpaw."

The long-haired tom stood protectively over the white she-cat, his fur bristling with rage. "Don't you dare touch her!" He growled. Gorsepaw had never seen him look so mad before. His ears were pinned flatly to his head, his teeth bared as wide as they could go, his puffed out tailed arched up into the air. He had clearly been battling hard. His fur was out at odd angles in some places, like teeth and claws had tried to reach his skin through it but failed, elsewhere clumps of fur were missing entirely. His right ear was raggard and dripping blood onto the flattened grass, joined by blood from a lacerated back leg.

"Rowanpaw, I-" Gorsepaw didn't know what to do, she considered Rowanpaw something of a friend. She got to her paws and took a hesitant half step towards him.

"Save it." He hissed, making Gorsepaw freeze. "Don't ever speak to me again, I saw you and I won't forgive you. It looked to me like you were going to kill Blizzardpaw!" He moved his gaze to his sister, and his eyes softened. "Come on. The battle is waning, there's too many to fight. Sorrelstar just called a retreat." He nudged her to her paws and, allowing her to lean on him, began to walk away. Not once did he look back.

_No. I wasn't, I would never kill another cat in cold blood. Never. _That's what Gorsepaw wanted to say. She wanted to cry it out to the disappearing GorseClan apprentices. But for some reason, her voice was stuck in her throat.

All around her the fighting cats were breaking apart, some yowling in triumph, others fleeing covered in blood. She spotted Shadystar talking with Flamestar, both watching the straggling GorseClan cats with intense stares. It appeared that the last of the GorseClan cats were those running up the slope and into the undergrowth. There was not a single MarshClan cat to be seen. They had left at the outbreak of the fight. _Typical Swalowstar... he won't get involved until he knows whats in it for him. _GustClan had not fought either, they couldn't afford to. Some of them were just beginning to peak of of their makeshift dens around to edge of their hollow, it appeared that they had hid during the fray. _Can't say I really blame them. GustClan is small enough as it is._ The FieldClan and FernClan medicine cats were moving from injured cat to injured cat, and soon the medicine cats of GustClan also dashed out, supplies in-jaw.

"Terrible isn't it?" A soft, mysterious female voice said gently. "War." Gorsepaw spun around, ready to face another enemy.

* * *

Willowpaw poked her head out of the temporary nursery cautiously. "Is it over?" She heard Rainpaw ask from behind her.

Observing the now quiet hollow, filled with nothing but cats of FernClan, GustClan and FieldClan, Willowpaw was learning towards a "yes".

"Uh-huh. GorseClan is gone." The new apprentice leaped out of the den, eyes wide as she took in the scene. Blood and fur covered the grass and several cats were lying on their sides as medicine cats treated them. "I'm glad we didn't have to fight in that."

"Looks like no-cats dead." Rainpaw meowed from behind her. "That's something."

"Why Rainpaw... You actually sound relieved." Takahepaw purred teasingly as he joined them, Breezepaw in tow. "I didn't know you would care."

Rainpaw glared at the older apprentice. "I'm just sick of seeing dead cats actually." He spat before stalking over to Bushstar, who was heading in the direction of the other two leaders. Takahepaw faltered, shaking his head. He watched Rainpaw indecisively for a moment before rushing after him, to apologise, Willowpaw assumed.

"Where were you hiding out at?" Breezepaw asked, breaking the awkwardness that was left in the wake of the two tom apprentices.

"Nursery." Willowpaw replied absently, not really paying attention, but following to progress of a pair of unfamiliar cats, one a white she-cat with silvery stripes and ice blue eyes, the other a young brown tabby she-cat with off-white stripes along her tail and bright green eyes. They were weaving through the crowd of cats towards them, and the older white cat's bewitching eyes seemed to be fixed unblinkingly at Willowpaw.

"I was in the medicine cat den with mother, Takahepaw and the medicine cats. It was the closest cover we could find." Breezepaw blathered on. Willowpaw was no longer listening. These two cats were definitely coming to see her.

As they approached, the older she-cat called out to her. "Willowpaw." She stopped in front of her, the tabby lingering in the background, a curious but urgent look in her eyes.

"Who are you?" Breezepaw asked, eying the newcomers suspiciously. "You don't carry any clan scent!" Breezepaw was right. This cat smelt like running water and a clear nights crisp air, and that was no clan scent Willowpaw had ever scented. The tabby cat, which was probably an apprentice, carried the mark of FernClan.

"I am Moonfall. I am a loner who lives over Sharp-rise." Moonfall introduced herself quickly, then flicked her tail towards the younger cat. "This is Gorsepaw, an apprentice of FernClan. Willowpaw, I am sorry to be brisk, but you need to come with me please."

'What?" Willowpaw mewed, confused. "Why?"

"Do not worry, I am no threat. I just need to speak with you alone." She replied, glancing at Breezepaw with her last word. "I will not go out of your sight, if that makes you feel better, just out of earshot." Moonfall spoke directly to Breezepaw now.

He narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "Fine, but only if Willowpaw wants to." He looked to her, while she glanced at Gorsepaw.

"It's really important, trust me. You'll understand." The tabby reassured her. Willowpaw dipped her head to the she-cats as a way of saying yes... For some reason, neither one of these cats made her feel anything but safe. She touched noses with her brother and then followed the she-cats to a secluded area of the hollow.

"Well, whats this about?"

"The prophecy sent to you by StarClan. I do not have long, so I will keep this blunt. I need you, and the other apprentices who received the prophecy, like Gorsepaw here, to meet me at Star Falls in three nights time. It's time..."

* * *

**_WELL THERE YOU GO. Like I said, I tried..._**

**_Hopefully the next update will not be far away. Also please let me know what characters you would like drawn next._**


	16. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Here's another chapter (finally). I'm in the final part of judging for my assistant, so the next chapter will be the first we work on together.**

**This chapter was written by Shimmertail for the above assistant position judging, it was actually just what I wanted for this chapter, so I have decided to use it, with her permission, in the the story with some editing by me.**

**So lets all thank Shimmertail for her lovely chapter (and me for my little bits here and there)!**

* * *

Skinkpaw paced the length of the empty apprentice's den. Both of the other apprentices he grudgingly lived with were sick and sleeping in the medicine cat's den for the next couple nights, which suited Skinkpaw just fine. _All the better, in fact, _he thought grimly, his usual smug attitude gone. _The last thing I need tonight is a couple of idiots in my way._

It was the third night, the third night since he had been visited by a loner who called herself Moonfall. He was supposed to make the long trek to Star Falls tonight for some prophecy that involved him. Did she really take him for an idiot? Not even the oldest elder could remember the last time FieldClan had received a prophecy.

He hadn't believed her at first. What sensible cat would have? He had demanded she explain before he ripped her to shreds, unsheathing his claws to back up his statement. Being oh-so-conveniently vague, she had simply replied, "All will be revealed soon, young one. Have patience. Now sheath your claws, as now is not the time for battle." Apparently, this she-cat believed him to be either very trusting or very stupid, which was close to the same things in Skinkpaw's mind.

But after she had left suddenly—_how had she gotten past FieldClan's defences, anyway?_—he had begun to truly consider what the loner was implying. A prophecy from StarClan involving him would make him important, a hero to all of FieldClan. His name would be passed down in legends forever! Eternal glory, just waiting for him. That was really the only thing he needed to make his final decision. After all, who else in this Clan was fit for the job? _Perhaps it involves that dream I had… _At first Skinkpaw had shrugged off his unusual dream from a quarter of a moon ago as eating a bad mouse, but now…

* * *

Moonhigh was nearing as Skinkpaw slunk out of the den, pawsteps making almost no noise as he padded closer to the exit. He silently thanked the original FieldClanners for picking this spot under all the pine trees to make a camp. Pine needles were perfect for sneaking around on. Batear and Possumtail were on guard and, predictably, were dead asleep. Possumtail must have been having a bad dream because he was trembling and whimpering. Batear had a goofy look on his face and was lying stretched out on his back. _Oh…Oh great StarClan, is he __**drooling**__? Ick, it's getting everywhere._ The young tom curled his lip in disgust. How these two ever became warriors was beyond him. He suppressed the urge to slap them both on the face with an unsheathed forepaw. The leader would get them tomorrow when they were found lazing about while an apprentice left camp. He, meanwhile, had traveling to do.

He had almost made it out of camp when he heard the pattering of tiny pawsteps behind him. He froze in horror, eyes growing wide. _They've got me, _he thought frantically._ I'll be an apprentice forever if they catch me sneaking out at night. Well, I won't go down without a fight. _He whipped around, fangs bared in a snarl, to see a cowering ball of silver fur. _Mistkit_, he remembered. _If she knows where I'm going, I'm done for. She'll tell the whole camp before I even make it out of the territory!_

"Skinkpaw," she mewled, voice slightly weak from sleep. "Where are you going so late? Shouldn't you be asleep?" She opened her kit-blue eyes, surprisingly alert for so late at night. He would have to think fast to get anything past her, and lying didn't exactly come naturally to him. He scrambled frantically for something to say.

The lie slipped out of his mouth before he had a chance to fully think it over. "Good job, Mistkit. Not many cats would have been able to catch me like this. But I have a secret, something that I can only share with you and you alone." He looked at her intently, green eyes glinting in the moonlight. He gave her a look that hopefully looked sincere and honest. "This is very important, so listen carefully." His voice had dropped to a whisper, and the kit leaned it with huge eyes, eager to hear the secret.

"Shadystar had sent me on a...special mission, okay? I've got an important job to do. It's top-secret and no one else can no about it. But with a clever kit like you, I know my secret's safe. I'm going to be gone for a while, so you can't mention me leaving to anyone, alright?" He processed what he'd just told the enraptured kit. _Not bad, and almost half-true. I am going on a special mission for the Clan, after all. Not bad at all._

The small she-kit stared at him in admiration and respect as she nodded enthusiastically. "I won't tell anybody, Skinkpaw, I promise! You can count on me." He smirked and gave her a quick lick on the forehead before padding off in the other direction as fast as he could. He had a lot of ground to cover in a short time, and he knew he'd be safe as long as Mistkit kept her silence.

* * *

Skinkpaw weaved through the thick grasses he was so accustomed to, light brown pelt the perfect camouflage to an unobservant eye. He tried to walk as quickly and quietly as possible, silently cursing every time he stepped on a twig or brushed against a stalk of dried grass. He trotted farther and farther north, eyes careful to spot any foreign movement. He slunk to the border where the tall grass ended and the thick undergrowth began, ripping at his thin pelt with thorns. A forest loomed ahead as he peered through the brush, green eyes glowing like stars in the still night.

He almost jumped when an ear-splitting screech filled his senses, drowning out the scuttle of prey and the swish of the leaves in the wind. Sitting high in a willow tree across the border was a large owl, pale eyes glaring down at him malevolently. It shrieked again, beating its large dark brown wings in warning. To his disgust, he felt his heart begin to beat a little faster. Sure, he'd heard tales of the owl snatching up kits, but he was an apprentice! He should be chasing it out to GorseClan territory. They deserved to have a few kits snatched up after letting Icestar get away all those moons ago. Sure, Skinkpaw didn't know much about the banished former leader, but from what he had heard from Shadystar, that cat had been nothing but trouble. He snarled up at the bird.

Sharpclaws shot him what could only be interpreted as a withering glance before flapping his powerful wings and departing into the night. Satisfied that he'd scared it away, the tabby stalked along the FernClan border, careful to travel downwind of any potential patrols. As he padded along the border, his mind drifted once again to the mysterious loner and her companion. His lip curled in distaste for the second time that night, as it often did when he was considering anything but himself. Gorsepaw of FernClan was an idiot, in imbecile. He'd seen the way she acted at Gatherings. If she was the saviour for her Clan, FernClan should probably start begging for mercy now.

The lake to his left was peaceful, lapping gently at the shore with waves reflecting the night sky. He was careful to keep away from it, as only MarshClan cats knew how to swim. Slinking along the edge of a rival Clan's border, he felt exposed. He was pretty far from home, and he'd be done for if a rogue or a patrol caught his scent. The faint rumble of an incoming thunderstorm echoed in the distance, and he began to walk a bit faster. He wasn't looking to run around in the rain.

He noted that the overwhelming smell of forest and open air was becoming murkier, mixing with a wilder, rougher scent. _MarshClan, _he thought with loathing. _They're almost as bad as GorseClan, arrogant and laughable in their stupidity. A FieldClan kit could take down one of their warriors._

He was making good time, the moon still making its slow ascent to the centre of the sky that was slowly becoming more overcast. But if he was to make it to Star Falls by moonhigh, he would have to speed up. He broke into a dead run, a dusky gold streak across the marshy ground. The storm was closer now, thunder growling ominously in the distance. He pelted across the territory, weaving around the willow trees and large pools of stagnant water, eyes fixed straight ahead. The wind howled around his as the storm neared. His run gradually faded to a steady walk as the brackish smell of MarshClan faded. _Nearly there, _he thought. _Nearly there. _He could see the large black mass that was Sharp-rise just up ahead.

* * *

He began the almost vertical climb up the steep hill, tired from his long run. Star Falls was just over this rise, the dull rumbling of the water filling his ears, and then he could see what this crazy loner wanted with him. Standing at the top of the tall hill, he could see Star Falls and a small group of cats standing just at the edge of it. He didn't see the pale silver pelt of Moonfall, but it was too far away to be sure. Deciding to make an entrance and show these cats who they were dealing with, he took a flying leap and landed at the bottom of the hill and landed without a stumble. Okay, maybe once.

He trotted up to the other cats, noting with interest that there were two extra cats along with the other three prophecy cats. Gorsepaw was the first to approach him, laughing at him. "Nice fall," she snickered, off-white ringed tabby tail twitching erratically. The she-cat just couldn't stay still, could she?

"I didn't fall!" he protested. "I jumped down, for your information. Anyway, is that loner here yet, or am I going to have to wait here all night?"

"Chill out, FieldClanner," she meowed. "Moonfall said she'd be here at moonhigh. Why don't you try to be friendly for once and introduce yourself to some of the other cats? If I understand everything right, we'll be with each other for quite a while." She padded off to peer over the edge of the waterfall. _I guess she's right, _Skinkpaw thought grudgingly. He padded over to the nearest cat, a light brown she-cat sitting with her back to him.

"Hello," he meowed, trying his friendliest voice. "I'm Skinkpaw from FieldClan." The brown she-cat turned around, a friendly smile on her face. His green eyes narrowed as he studied her curiously. "You look familiar," he mewed. "Have we met before?"

Before she could answer, a black tom crashed into his side. Hissing, he whipped around to face him. "Who are you, and what do you think you're doing?" Skinkpaw snarled, ready to tear his tail off. He bristled angrily as the younger tom shrugged.

"I was trying to get to my sister, and you were in the way," he meowed. "I'm Breezepaw of GustClan." The younger apprentice drew himself up to his full height, which was still only a few inches shorter than the FieldClan cat.

The name gave him a brief flash of escorting three annoying GustClan kits back to his camp, after catching them stealing prey. He looked in between the siblings several times before turning back to the she-cat. _What's her name again? _"I'm Willowpaw," mewed the brown apprentice. "I think you were part of a patrol we met when we were still kits."

He nodded curtly before padding off. If the she-cat was anything like her annoying brothers, he would be fine without her. The next cat was yet another she-cat, a pretty tortoiseshell he had seen before at Gatherings. She seemed sane enough, especially compared to the other three cats he had met. He padded up to her. "I'm Skinkpaw. I don't believe we've met." Thunder snarled overhead, quickly followed by a blinding flash of lightning.

"Dappledpaw," she answered coolly. "Dappledpaw of GorseClan. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She studied him with frigid blue eyes, and the tabby tom suddenly felt like a piece of prey under her gaze. Nodding his thanks before he edged away, Skinkpaw repressed a shudder as he padded off. _That she-cat is scary, _he thought. _Remind me to be on her side in a fight. _Lightning flashed once more, and he glared up at the sky. If Moonfall didn't hurry up, they'd be waiting in the rain before long.

"I thought I smelled some gullfood, but it must have just been the FieldClan stench," a male voice meowed. He whipped around to see two toms, a grey-brown warrior and a smirking golden tabby his own age. The tabby's blue eyes flashed. Both of them were MarshClan cats, judging by their scent. _And he thinks I stink?_

"Shut up, fish-breath," he snapped, too tired to come up with his usual brilliant comebacks. He groaned inwardly as rain began to needle down from overhead. Why had he come here again? Something about glory and a prophecy?

"Oh, cle-_ver,_" the golden tom retorted, rolling his eyes and drawing the word out. "It must have taken you weeks to come up with that one. Your parents must be so proud." He faked a tearful smile that quickly morphed into a smirk.

"Sparkpaw!" the gray-brown warrior snapped. "Leave him be."

The golden tabby rolled his eyes and grinned at him. "Sparkpaw of MarshClan. Nice to meet you." He padded off after the warrior, presumably his mentor. Skinkpaw looked to the few stars still visible through the clouds again. Why had he gotten into this?

"Enough." The voice rang out high and clear over the raging storm. Moonfall had padded out of the waterfall, appearing like the mist that rolled off the water. The small group grew silent under her blue gaze. _There's something abnormal about her, _he thought curiously. _Cats don't just appear out of waterfalls._ He kept his comments to himself, however.

"There will be time for talking amongst yourselves later, but we have many things to discuss before the sun rises. Follow me." With that, the silver-and-white cat walked back into the waterfall.

The tip of her tail had only just disappeared when the GustClan she-cat broke the silence. "Well, what are we waiting for? She said for us to follow her." She padded into the waterfall, disappearing under the constant sheet of water. She was quickly followed by her brother.

He watched as they all went through the wall of water, one by one: Dappledpaw, Sparkpaw, Gorsepaw, and the MarshClan warrior. He stood in the clearing for a moment, all alone, before padding up to the falls. _You're an idiot for doing this, _a voice in the back of his head screamed. He shook his head. _All for the glory, _he reminded it sharply. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he padded right through the waterfall, disappearing as the storm raged on.

* * *

**So hopefully next chapter won't take so long, we're finally getting into the main plot here guys!**


	17. AN

**A/N: **

**Hey everyone! First I owe you all a massive apology for the un-announced hiatus! *throws self to the floor***

** I have my many reasons, including work, getting ready for art school next year, new puppy and family deaths (my grandfather, dog and cat all in one month...) However, you can expect a new chapter soon, as my co-author Shimmertail has kindly offered to write the next chapter or two**** all on her lonesome ****until I get my mojo back. **

**Also you should consider my other story/planned story on hiatus for now.**

**Again, my apologies, I hope to be back in business soon!**


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